Become an Instructor
Information for People applying to be a Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor
There is no further Instructor planned for the foreseeable future. But if you are interested please email
k.pugh@mind.org.uk
and state your interest for any future Instructor training if or when available.
Introduction
Thank you very much for your interest in being trained as a Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor. The information set out here will, hopefully, help you to be clear about what will be expected of Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors. Please read this information thoroughly.
Background
A key aim of mental health policy in Wales is to raise public awareness of mental health and illness and to promote positive mental health and well-being. Mind Cymru, on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government is taking forward Wales' Mental Health First Aid (Wales) training initiative in Wales. We are seeking to recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds across Wales to train to become Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors.
Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor training is primarily concerned with raising awareness of the importance of mental health and to promote recovery of those who might be experiencing mental ill health. The aims of the training are to:
- preserve life where a person may be a danger to themselves or others;
- provide help to prevent the mental distress developing into a more serious state;
- promote recovery of good mental health;
- provide comfort to a person experiencing mental distress.
The 12 hour Mental Health First Aid (Wales) course looks at the needs of adults who have developed or may be at risk of developing mental distress.
Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors' Recruitment
Mind Cymru has been contracted to co-ordinate the recruitment and selection and has recruited and trained over 75 people to become Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors by end March 2009. In order to be selected you need to complete an application form and return to:
Kim Pugh
Mental Health First Aid Project Manager
Mind Cymru
3rd Floor
Quebec House
Castlebridge
Cowbridge Road East
Cardiff
CF11 9AB
If you want to clarify something before submitting your application, please contact Kim Pugh at Mind Cymru at k.pugh@mind.org.uk or tel: 02920 346 581 and he will try to help.
Criteria for Selection
The following are the essential criteria for being selected to participate in the Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor's training programme and for being approved to deliver courses:
- 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
Fees
There is a charge for someone to be trained as a Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor. The fees include all the training sessions and refreshments, the Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Manual and Instructor's Toolkit, which is a comprehensive package of training and reference materials, and membership of the Mental Health First Aid (Wales) National Network that will provide ongoing support and updates.
The fees for training to be a Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor are:
- Statutory sector and self-employed/independent trainers £1000
- Voluntary sector (with a national remit or annual income above £1 million) £650
- Voluntary sector (revenue less than £1 million p.a.) £450
There will be a charge, at cost price, for the Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Manual which is issued to all people who attend a Mental Health First Aid (Wales) course. Instructors or their sponsoring organisations will be required to purchase these manuals from Mind Cymru in order to deliver the course following their training and approval.
These fees and costs are heavily subsidised through funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and are very similar to the ones charged by the Mental Health First Aid programme in Australia.
Expectations of Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors
If you are selected you will be expected to attend the full training for Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors. This includes:
- 2 days for the 12 hour Mental Health First Aid (Wales) course
- 3 days for the Development Days
- 2 days for the Assessment Days
There will be two opportunities over the coming 3 months to participate in the Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors' training. The dates and geographic location have been set for delivery of the first training session. Where possible, people will be allocated places dependent on their experience, skills, professional context and geographic location. Some people may need overnight accommodation in order to attend these sessions, participants will have to arrange and pay for their own travel.
In order to be able to deliver Mental Health First Aid (Wales) courses all Instructors will need to participate fully in all aspects of the training, be assessed and approved by the National Training Team.
It is expected that all Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors will deliver at least 3 courses in the 12 months after being approved. In order to continue to be on the approved Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors list all Instructors will need to participate in the National Network. This will include at least one national meeting a year.
Mental Health First Aid (Wales) will be monitored and independently evaluated; Instructors will need to be able to support these by providing accurate contact details of all participants on their courses, returning completed forms and providing relevant information as requested.
Organisation of and Payment of Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Courses
It is expected that Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors will be responsible for the organisation of courses themselves, or with the support of their sponsoring organisation. This includes the ordering and payment of Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Manuals and the requesting of Certificates for participants as well as the practical arrangements for delivery, e.g. venue, refreshments, equipment, etc.
Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors are not employed by Mind Cymru to deliver the courses. However, we recognise that some sectors or groups of people that we want to attend Mental Health First Aid (Wales) courses may not have the capacity to deliver the training. Mind Cymru will be looking for some Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors to be contracted to deliver these courses and payment will be made on an individual basis.
It is expected that many organisations will charge people a fee to attend MHFA(Wales) courses and that this fee will include the cost of the Manual, Certificate, percentage of the venue hire and refreshments and the Instructor's preparation and delivery time.
Organisational Support
People who are applying to be trained as a Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor as part of their professional remit and are getting financial support from their organisation need to include with their application a letter of support from their line manager, (refer to draft copy). The letter should include confirmation that the person is supported to be involved as a Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor and that the line manager understands and approves the money and time commitment that will be needed to do this. Where an organisation is paying for someone to be trained as a Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor then Mind Cymru would expect that ownership of the Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor's Toolkit will remain with the organisation rather than the individual.
Target Groups
The Welsh Assembly Government and Mind Cymru are keen that Mental Health First Aid (Wales) courses are accessible to a wide range of groups and individuals across Wales. The programme is targeted at raising mental health literacy in the general public. There are some key groups of people that we hope will attend a course, including people who work in the Ambulance Service, Welsh Police Forces and Prison Service, JobcentrePlus, Primary Health Care and Social Care, staff in Further and Higher Education, Support Workers in a variety of settings, voluntary and community groups, and other workplaces.
Applicants will be selected on how well they meet the criteria for being a Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructor and which target group/groups they intend to deliver courses for.
Dates for Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors' Training 2009
Any more instructors training courses in 2009 will be added here as soon as confirmed.
When selected to participate in the Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Instructors' training you will be allocated a place in one of these geographic locations. You have to attend all three parts: 12 hour Mental Health First Aid (Wales) Course, 3 Development Days, and 2 Assessment Days.
If you are successful in being allocated a place you will receive full joining instructions.
Application
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