Mount Alexander Shire Council, Victoria, is holding its tenth round of Youth Mental Health First Aid training in May with an invitation to primary and secondary teachers and staff to participate.
The course is an opportunity for educators to learn more about mental health and how they can support young people. A session for parents and carers will be held later in the year.
Mayor Bronwen Machin participated in the most recent round of training for Council staff and found the course to be incredibly valuable.
“More than one in five adults and one in four young people experience a mental health issue at some point in their lives, so this is a very real thing for so many people in our community.
“I believe it’s important that as a community we try to better understand mental health illnesses and the impact it has on people, the support that is available and what we can do to make a difference,” she said.
Mental health first aid training teaches people how to recognise a possible emerging mental health problem or a mental health crisis.
The training helps people to understand what to do if they are worried about someone in their lives.
Mental health emerged as a priority in the Council Plan 2017-2021 and has been identified in the strategic plans of local community health organisations in the shire. It has also been identified as a top priority for young people.
Youth Mental Health First Aid training is delivered by Council officers as part of Council’s commitment to improving and understanding the health and wellbeing of the community.
Council has achieved silver accreditation in the Mental Health First Aid Skilled Workplaces Initiative, established by Mental Health First Aid Australia.
