NHS West Midlands and West Midlands Probation Service have worked together to develop a basic level Mental Health Awareness Training package.
The course which has been designed to be delivered over 1 day is intended to ensure that probation staff have adequate awareness of mental health issues.
Improved awareness can support an offender’s well-being and improve the speed and quality of referrals to Mental Health Services. A supportive mental health environment is necessary to address offending behaviour.
The awareness package will allow a variety of staff, mental health qualified and non-qualified, to deliver training to Probation Service Officers, therefore requiring no constraints regarding workload and capacity.
Using the existing Mental Health Awareness Trainers guide, delegates pack and information we have on mental health needs for offenders, we have developed a probation centred version of the training materials for use as a taught training programme but also for individual use accessed by printed material.
For more information please contact gary.holland@westmidlands.nhs.uk