Why should you become a Mental Health First Aider?

In July, we’ll be running our second Mental Health First Aid course with Soundcastle, where you can gain an FAA Level 2 Award qualification in First Aid for Mental Health. The first course, which took place in March, booked up quickly, and two attendees from the Music Mark team have shared why they signed up and what they learnt.

Aimee Christodoulou, Social Media & Content Officer, said:

I signed up for the Mental Health First Aid Training with Soundcastle as I wanted to learn how to best support the people in my life, whether that be colleagues, friends, or those who attend our Music Mark events.

One of the most valuable things we explored during the course was how to respond in a crisis – this not only included learning how to identify someone at risk of a mental health crisis, but also learning how to ask the right questions and how to ask frank, difficult questions that could save someone’s life. We also discussed empathy vs sympathy and how much of a difference it can make to someone in need of support when you listen effectively and don’t just relate a situation back to your own experiences.

Soundcastle were fantastic at delivering the course. Not only did they facilitate a very supportive environment within which to explore a serious subject matter, but they also came equipped with a wide range of scenarios in which we may need to respond as first aiders in the real world, whether that’s supporting a young person, someone at work, or a stranger. This was particularly useful and allowed me to see all the different ways my new knowledge could be important in practice, whether through subtle support or in the case of an emergency.

If your day-to-day life involves interacting with other people, particularly young people, you will definitely benefit from this course!

Matthew Crisp, Membership & Operations Officer, shared:

I have always felt it very important to keep my first aid training up to date. You never know when you will be in the right place at the right time to save someone’s life. When the opportunity arose to take part in Mental Health First Aid Training, I didn’t hesitate to sign up.

I wasn’t quite sure what the training would involve or how it would be delivered so was a little nervous before the first session as I knew that the topics were going to be challenging.

The Soundcastle team soon made me feel comfortable and welcomed, explaining exactly what to expect at the beginning of the first session.

It was so helpful to be able to discuss the topics and to practise conversations in such a supportive environment as I now feel that I could put my learning into practice in both professional and personal settings.

Sign up and become a qualified Mental Health First Aider here