Mental health training courses expanding

Queen’s offers a variety of courses related to mental health training and awareness, and is now expanding its programs and offerings to fit different needs and different schedules.

“Our goal is for everyone on campus who wants to take mental health training to be able to do so in a way that is convenient and accessible,” says Mike Condra, Director of Health, Counselling and Disability Services (HCDS). “Members of the community have expressed a keen interest in the training so they can more easily recognize when their peers and colleagues might be in distress.”

There are currently four mental health-related training programs available for students, faculty and staff:

• Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), a two-day session that focuses on mental health literacy, first aid intervention skills and developing awareness of the resources available on campus, locally and nationally.
• Mental Health Awareness and Response, a three-hour session that covers basic mental health awareness and helping skills.
• Identifying and Responding to Students in Distress (IRSD), a 45-minute session that focuses on awareness-raising and resources.
• Mental Health First Aid Refresher, a one-hour session for participants that have taken the MHFA course and would like to maintain their skills.

This year, IRSD will be offered weekly and at different times of the day to enable as many people as possible to be able to attend a session.   As with all of the training programs, alternate dates and times can be arranged; please contact Lauren Sharpe at mhp.hcds@queensu.ca for assistance.  The popular two-day MHFA course is scheduled for December 11 and 12. Click here to register.

Registration for the other mental health training programs is available through the HCDS website. Additional sessions will be added to the registration page on an ongoing basis.

More information about mental health training at Queen’s