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Mental Health First Aid

I came across this in the last Rural Health Network newsletter and made an inquiry about the scheme. The reply came today saying:

Hi Mike,
 
Thanks for your interest in the Mental Health First Aid Training Course. Your best source of information is the MHFA Wales website – www.mhfa-wales.org.uk – to give you an idea of what the course is all about. Mind Cymru are coordinating MHFA in Wales so they would also be a good source of information. Their telephone number is 029 2039 5123.
 
The course is being very well received in Wales and I believe there are plans to bring the course to England very soon. Many of my fellow instructors have already delivered several courses and have received excellent feed back.
 
If you need any further information, please feel free to contact me.
 
Many thanks – Richard  
 
Richard Jones
Healthy Ageing Assistant
Age Concern Cymru
Tel: 029 2043 1553

To me, this presents good opportunities for service users and carers as instructors. I’ve looked at the website, which is clear and straightforward. The criteria for becoming an instructor do not preclude service users and carers. They are:

* professional and/or personal experiences in the field of mental health, including relevant qualifications
* experience of delivering training/teaching effectively
* experience of effectively networking
* knowledge of the range of mental health services in Wales
* good interpersonal and communication skills
* good knowledge about mental health problems
* positive attitudes towards people with mental health problems
* enthusiasm to reduce stigma associated with mental ill health

Let’s keep an eye on this.

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