Workshops

Do you find others often open up to you and share their problems, sometimes distressing situations, and ask you what you think they should do?  

Would you like to be clearer about what to say or do to really help them?  

Are you worried about what to do if people talk about suicide? 

This workshop aims to empower participants to become effective Accidental Counsellors, equipping them with essential skills to support individuals in crisis.

Attendees will learn effective communication techniques and deepen their understanding of mental health and suicide prevention.

By the end of the course, participants will have the tools to guide those in distress toward safety and support while also prioritising their own mental wellbeing.

Goals of the training: 

• Understand the role of an Accidental Counsellor 
• Identify persons in distress 
• How to Talk to a person in distress 
• How to Ask a person about thoughts of suicide 
• How Listen to the person in distress 
• Connect a person in distress to support and resources 
• Connect yourself to self-care and more resources 
• Feel more confident when you find yourself in a situation of being an Accidental Counsellor

Who should attend?

Anyone that wants to build their skills and feel more confident when dealing with others in distress.

Length: 3.5 hours

Frequency: Quarterly (or for groups of 12+ by request)

Email: workshops@mind-ed.org.au

This workshop aims to empower participants to become effective peer supporters, equipping them with essential skills to support individuals in crisis in the workplace or in volunteer organisations.  

Attendees will learn effective communication techniques and deepen their understanding of mental health and suicide prevention. By the end of the course, participants will confidently guide those in distress toward safety and support while also prioritizing their own mental wellbeing. 

This supports workplaces and organisations who have a responsibility to manage psychosocial risks and hazards and to build a culture of psychological health and safety.  This workshop helps you empower your people with the skills to identify the signs, symptoms and behaviours so they can respond appropriately and create a culture of wellbeing. 

Objectives 

• Increase mental health literacy  
• Increased self-awareness  
  Develop skills to initiate caring conversations  
• Increased awareness of signs of stress or psychological distress  
• Increased capacity to support others and connect them with safety 
• Increased understanding of supporting one’s own mental health and wellbeing while supporting others. 

Who should attend?

Individuals, workplaces, organisatons that want to equip their volunteers or employees to feel more confident when dealing with others in distress and understand the shared responsibility of psychosocial hazards.

Length: 3.5 hours

Frequency: Quarterly (or for groups of 12+ by request)

Email: workshops@mind-ed.org.au

The ASK Workshop

This online workshop is for professionals working with children and young people aged 5-14 years old.  The ASK Workshop is completed across two days plus reading completed prior to the live workshop. 

ASK Online challenges commonly held notions about children’s capacity to consider suicide.

Participants learn:

• How to talk about death with children.
• How to talk about suicide with children.
• Developmentally appropriate strategies and tools to identify young children at risk of suicide.
• How to quickly gather and organise details needed to assess risk.
• How to explore and consider protective factors to inform safety planning.
• To consider common challenges when working with parents and possible solutions.

Who should attend?

Professionals working with children and young people aged 5-14 years.

Length:  two half days (online).  Prior reading and modules required.

Frequency: Quarterly (or for groups of 12+ by request).

Email: workshops@mind-ed.org.au

LivingWorks safeTALK  equips people to be more alert to someone thinking of suicide and better able to connect them with further help.

Using a simple yet effective model, LivingWorks safeTALK empowers everyone to make a difference. With over 120,000 people attending each year, it’s the world’s fastest-growing suicide prevention skills training course.

In LivingWorks safeTALK you will learn how to reach out to someone thinking about suicide and help them keep safe by promptly connecting them to further support. Your role as a connector is the main focus of this training, which features:

• Trainer presentations, facilitated discussion, and skills practice
• Videos that illustrate what happens when signs of suicide are overlooked, and how you can contribute to safe outcomes when these signs are heard and addressed
• Opportunities to further explore organisational applications of the training
• A community resource person will be on hand at the workshop to support your safety and comfort

Who should attend?

Anyone that wants to learn suicide awareness and how to connect those at risk with support.

Length: 4 hours

Frequency: By request for groups of 12+ 

Email: workshops@mind-ed.org.au

Trusted by professionals, approved by the World Health Organisation and learnable by anyone, LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is the only workshop of its kind.

Updated continually to reflect new knowledge, LivingWorks ASIST has been training people to provide suicide first aid interventions for 40 years.

The Standard Mental Health First Aid course teaches participants how to provide initial support to another adult who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis, until professional help is received or the crisis resolves.

Course participants learn about the signs and symptoms of common mental health problems in adults, how to recognise and respond to an emerging or worsening mental health problem and the treatments and supports available.

Upon completion of this course participants will be able to: 

• Recognise the signs and symptoms of mental health problems in adults 
• Use an evidence-based action plan to initiate a mental health first aid conversation 
• Know the barriers to help-seeking and how to overcome these 
• Assess for a range of crisis situations and provide initial support 
• Understand the prevalence and impact of mental illnesses, risk factors and treatments and supports available 
• Apply self-care practices as a Mental Health First Aider 

Who should attend?

Suitable for individuals, workplaces of all sizes and volunteer and community-based groups. Any adult (aged 18+) can attend.

Length:  2 x 6-hour sessions over 2 days

Frequency: By request for groups of 12+ 

Email: workshops@mind-ed.org.au

The Conversations About Non-Suicidal Self-Injury course teaches participants how to provide initial support to someone who may be engaging in non-suicidal self-injury, until professional help is received, or the crisis resolves. 

Course participants learn how to recognise and respond to the person engaging in non-suicidal self-injury, and the interventions and supports available to encourage pathways to professional help. 

Using a practical, evidence-based action plan, participants learn how to approach someone they are concerned about and initiate a conversation about those concerns.

Participants also learn how to offer initial support and information and how to encourage the person to seek professional help or other supports. 

Who should attend?

Suitable for individuals, workplaces of all sizes and volunteer and community-based groups.  

Any adult (aged 18+) can attend. 

Length: This half-day course is delivered face to face in by an MHFA trained and Licensed Instructor. 

Frequency: By request for groups of 12+ 

Email: workshops@mind-ed.org.au

Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention is a two-day workshop designed for professionals and para-professionals in the human services whose roles bring them into regular contact with people at risk of suicide.

This workshop aims to help participants:

• Gain an understanding of the problem of suicide
• Identify suicide risk
• Provide a framework for risk assessment and intervention
• Develop appropriate intervention skills
• Understand the limits to confidentiality and importance of consultation
• Gain an understanding of self-harming behaviour
• Gain an understanding of the link between mental disorders and suicidal behaviours
• Understand the importance of postvention

Who should attend?

Professionals and para-professionals in human services field who work with kids.

Frequency: Annually – please register your interest to be notified of the next workshop.

Length: two full days

Email: workshops@mind-ed.org.au