Mental Health Training for Secondary School Teachers15-Aug-2017
The government has recently announced that every secondary school in England will be offered mental health training by 2020.
Recently launched, the new £200,000 government-funded programme is part of the Government's commitment to improve support for children and young people. It maintains the pledge in the Queen's Speech to “..(improve) mental health legislation and ensure that mental health is prioritised.”
Delivered by the charity Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), the training programme aims to help teachers in every secondary school in England to identify and respond to early signs of mental health issues in children.
Teachers and other school staff will receive practical advice on how to recognise issues including depression and anxiety, self-harm, and eating disorders. They will also be invited to become first aid champions, sharing their knowledge and experiences across schools and communities to raise awareness and remove the stigma and discrimination caused by Mental Health.
It is said that early interventions in a child's mental health is important; reports show that one in 10 school-aged children will have a mental health condition at any time, and half of all mental health conditions beginning before the age of 14.
The sentiment from the Government is that identifying symptoms of mental illness early can help young people on the road to recovery, and that the training will mean more children receive the well-timed and sensitive support they need to stay well.
For more details, visit the Government website.