Launch of Youth Mental Health First Aid

The official launch of the Youth Mental HEalth First Aid programme will take place in London on the 10th November. Further details are available from the MHFA England website.

HUBB is subsidising a number of YMHFA programmes to those who live and/or work in Havering and Barking & Dagenham. See our website for more information. Rob Thomas is one of MHFA England's YMHFA National Training Team members as well as delivering the 14 hour programme as an instructor.

"MHFA England CIC is excited to announce the launch of Youth Mental Health First Aid (Youth MHFA).  Following the huge national success of Mental Health First Aid, Youth MHFA is an internationally recognised course designed specifically for those people that live, work or care for young people aged 11 - 18. MHFA England have adapted the course to be specific for people living with, caring for and working with young people in England. The course provides information and training to promote a young person's mental and emotional wellbeing and to enable participants to support a young person who might be experiencing mental and emotional distress.

The Youth MHFA course will teach people how to:

• Spot the early signs of a mental health problem in young people
• Feel confident helping a young person experiencing a problem
• Provide help on a first aid basis
• Help prevent a young person from hurting themselves or others
• Help prevent a mental health illness from getting worse
• Help a young person recover faster
• Guide a young person towards the right support
• Reduce the stigma of mental health problems

Why is it important?

• 1 in 10 young people experience emotional and mental health problems
• By the time young people become adults the incidence of mental health problems rises
• to somewhere between 1 in 4 and 1 in 6 people.
• For those aged 15-24 suicide is the most common cause of death
• There is evidence to suggest early intervention is hugely beneficial"

Mental Health First Aid and Recovery Star - more successful training delivery!

It's been a busy week in HUBB's Training Department. We delivered a well recieved training programme on the Recovery Star to 16 people from Islington Mind. Our approach is to concentrate on engaging people to want to use the Star and then how facilitate the Star effectively. Although 'Person Centred', that is towards the benefit of the Service User, there is pressure on pushing the Recovery Star to them rather than looking at how Services Users can find out about its benefits and asking to use it. The new posters and postcards on the Ladder of Change and the Recovery Star work really well in helping understand this approach.

It was also recognised how using the language in the Recovery Star - 'Stuck', 'Accepting Help', 'Believing', Learning' and 'Self-Reliance' - in an organisation can be very useful in developing a 'Recovery Oriented' approach. This in turn develops confidence in using the language of the Recovery Star in a 'natural' way with Service Users rather than the false, jargonistic, 'buzz word' manner that can appear when the key worker themselves lacks belief and understanding.

This week saw Lynn and Rob also deliver another Mental Health First Aid programme. The participants were all from, or working in, Havering.

Comments included "this programme should be as widespread as 'First Aid!'", and "I wish to become an ambassador for promoting MHFA in the Asian community!"

 

Breathing Exercises to help reduce anxiety as part of the MHFA

Awareness of how valuable it would be to have Mental Health First Aiders in the community and at work, similar to the number of 'First Aiders', is gradually improving.

Finally, on a different note, HUBB has also been asked to promote awareness of the 'Fearfighter' event at HASWA. Please contact Ravinder Binning (NOT the HUBB Office!) on 01708 550 322 or 0778 738 9358