MENTAL health first aiders are popping up across the borough thanks to new training from Citizens Advice Wokingham – and there’s still time to get involved.
The charity’s chief executive, Jake Morrison, is running a two-day course to help people across the borough learn how to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis.
Participants include staff and volunteers from charities across the borough, as well as council staff.
A member of staff from Wokingham United Charities said the course was in-depth, and gave them greater confidence in knowing how to respond to someone in crisis.
They added: “Jake is a knowledgeable instructor and encouraged a safe learning environment for participants to share experiences, which really helped transfer the learning into real life scenarios.”
The course is delivered through a mixture of online classroom and self-directed learning.
It covers the warning signs of mental ill health and how to approach and support someone, while keeping safe. Students also learn how to empower someone to access the support that they might need to support recovery.
Citizens Advice Wokingham says it is supporting people holistically with issues around benefits, debt, housing, employment law and relationships, as mental ill health has an impact on individuals across the community. The course aims to help charities support their service users, staff and volunteers.
The course has been funded by the Lottery Community Fund and Berkshire Community Foundation and there are free places available for charity staff and volunteers in the borough.
Registration is still open.
For more information, visit citizensadvicewokingham.org.uk or email [email protected]
