Mental Health Training – Recognise & Respond

Course Overview

Every year, approximately one in five Australians experience a mental health problem. Having the
knowledge and confidence to appropriately support an individual dealing with a mental health crisis can be
invaluable.
This training program is designed to provide the necessary skills to be able to recognise a mental health
crisis and respond accordingly.

 
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to recognise situations where people may be in imminent crisis, and then to work  collaboratively to minimise any safety concerns and make plans to access required support services. 

This unit applies to any community services worker involved in crisis intervention. Management of the crisis may involve face-to-face, telephone or  remote contact with persons involved 

Core Elements 
• Identify imminent crisis situations 
• Address immediate safety concerns 
• Provide referral for crisis intervention support 
• Care for Self 

Day 2: The CURE Methodology - A Methodology for Managing Conflict and Crisis

What is the CURE Methodology? 
CURE stands for Cause, Understanding, Response and Evaluation. 

This acronym can be used by individuals in supportive roles as a simple and easy to follow process when needing to intervene or manage conflict or crisis in  support environments. 

Overview 
Cause  - Any conflict or crisis can be traced back to a specific stimulus that has incited an emotional and/or physical response. Finding the root cause or  contributing factors that have triggered such a conflict or crisis is the first step to realising an optimal response to resolving the issue. 
Understanding  - Every person sees the world differently. And in this step, we seek to understand why such a stimulus (i.e. triggering event or experience) was a  problem for the individual and how this may be impacting their ability to cope. 
Response - When we can better understand the events surrounding a heightened behavioural response, we have an increased opportunity to adjust our  approach or behavioural intervention strategies used, to guide the conflict or crisis towards an optimal outcome.  
Evaluation - Most of us follow entrenched patterns of behaviour, but understand that behavioural change can also be dynamic (both positively or negatively)  depending on the environment.  
In this final step, it is critical to identify, analyse and evaluate our implemented responses to conflict or crisis events, so that we can better position  ourselves for creating more positive resolution practices in the future, that include developing a client’s coping strategies.

Day 2: Vicarious Trauma – Identification & Management. Strategies for Workers Susceptible to Experiencing Vicarious Trauma

What is Vicarious Trauma? 
Vicarious trauma is a process of change resulting from empathetic engagement with trauma survivors. 
Anyone who engages empathetically with survivors of traumatic incidents, torture, and material relating to their trauma, is p otentially  affected, including doctors and other health professionals which includes support workers. 

Core Elements of Training 
• The impact of Trauma on the individual 
• Signs of vicarious trauma 
• Coping strategies for mitigating the risk of vicarious trauma 
• Self-awareness and regulation 
• Developing self-care plans