Education & Training
Community Education and Training
Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention and Awareness Network (SSPAN) run professional development and community education sessions as a strategy to help prevent suicide.
Each year 1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental illness. Many people are not knowledgeable or confident to offer assistance. Physical first aid is accepted and widespread in our community, however most do not cover mental health problems. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches people the skills to help someone who they’re concerned about.
SSPAN periodically offers MHFA training to the community. These include:
STANDARD
12 hour course for adults assisting other adults
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SUICIDE
Half-day course for adults assisting someone experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT NON-SUICIDAL SELF-INJURY
Half-day course for adults assisting someone engaging in self-injury
STANDARD REFRESHER
This half-day course gives participants an opportunity to refresh the knowledge and skills learnt during the 12-hour Standard Mental Health First Aid Course
Currently we are working to be able to offer courses online and will update the website as this happens, in the meantime if you are interested in doing a course please let us know here
There are a range of suicide prevention training sessions available in the Shoalhaven. Although Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention and Awareness Network regularly run Mental Health first aid courses there other agencies that run courses and there are other trainers available all over Australia.
Mental Health First Aid Australia has a number of different courses all over Australia find out more about course near you here
Mental Health First Aid
Mental health first aid is the help provided to a person who is developing a mental health problem, or who is in a mental health crisis (e.g., the person is suicidal or has had a traumatic experience). Like physical first aid, mental health first aid is given until the person receives professional help or until the crisis resolves.
Find out more
QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Training
Many of us are in regular contact with people who are at risk of suicide without knowing it. People who are experiencing suicidal thoughts may not be able to communicate their distress directly, and so warning signs may be missed or misinterpreted.
Find out more
