For people on the front line of crisis support, it’s important to be equipped with the skills to deal with situations involving mental ill health. We’re providing training for volunteers to better support individuals, and themselves.
The Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion offers a variety of mental health training. We recently partnered with the organisation Stay Kind to offer pro bono mental health first aid training to their on-the-ground ambassadors.
Supporting Safe Spaces
Arif Ongu, Training Specialist at our centre, ran Mental Health First Aid training – across five Wednesday nights – for Stay Kind’s Take Kare Ambassadors last month.
These volunteers help run Take Kare Safe Spaces – pop up facilities in Sydney CBD providing a safe space for young people after a night out. People can charge their phones, receive first aid, rehydrate, find transport home or wait for friends.
Take Kare Ambassadors need to be able to identify and support young people in need, particularly those who may have mental health issues.
‘They are an organisation that does frontline work, and are not in a position where they can pay for this type of training. Partnering with them to upskill their volunteers is one way we can have social impact,’ said Arif.
‘Sharing knowledge like this is one way we can have a positive impact on community, and I feel strongly that it’s our responsibility as an institution that’s committed to social justice to seek out these opportunities.’
Participants learned techniques to identify and support people in mental distress, including those suffering a panic attack, exhibiting suicidal behaviour, or experiencing psychosis.
They were taught the ALGEE action plan, a five step process to help support or de-escalate a situation involving mental ill health.
Approach the person, assess and assist with crisis
Listen and communicate non-judgementally
Give support and information
Encourage the person to get appropriate professional support
Encourage other supports
Understanding how to de-escalate a crisis situation is particularly handy for Take Kare Ambassadors, who are often dealing with young people who are intoxicated, which can exacerbate mental health issues or a tense situation.
‘It is so important for people having difficulties that they are treated with respect and without judgement and the ALGEE plan and training helps support that,’ said Arif.
Kristen Flex, Program Coordinator at Take Kare, said the training was well received by the ambassadors.
‘We all come to the Take Kare Program with extremely diverse backgrounds and lifestyles. Some of us are parents, office workers, trade workers or students – the list is endless, but all of our Take Kare members have found the course to be relevant and readily applied in all aspects of our lives.’
Taking Kare of mental health
Arif also ran a self-care training session to share strategies for monitoring and looking after volunteers’ own mental health.
Kristen said the self-care training was absolutely necessary in a job where every night brings something different, for which it’s hard to prepare.
‘Regardless of what we see or do on a night out with the program, Arif has ingrained in our minds the importance of self-care and more importantly, ways in which we can practice self-care and make it part of our everyday routines.
‘As a team, we developed a greater understanding of the importance of looking after ourselves both physically and emotionally, and now also the importance of being physically and emotionally healthy enough to provide support for others,’ she said.
Arif said that self-care is not just about empowering people having difficulties with their own mental health, but about ensuring individuals are not taking on additional stress to help others at their own expense.
‘As workers in mental health, empowerment is fundamental to any support we provide,’ he said.
Find out more about Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion’s mental health training.