Mental health training for non-paid carers of loved ones with mental health challenges

This training aims to help non-paid carers supporting a loved one with lived experience of mental health problems.

Being a non-paid carer can take many forms, you might be a friend, family member, neighbour, partner, peer, or colleague. You might provide practical, emotional support, or both. In fact, anyone could be a carer – a student supporting a housemate with early signs of an eating disorder, a family member supporting their brother-in law with depression, or a husband supporting his wife with complex PTSD.

Training delivered over 4 sessions, covering the following topics:

1. Understanding mental health challenges – An opportunity to explore what it can be like to experience mental health challenges and how mental health needs impact on people’s behaviour.
2. Support people with mental health needs to make changes – To explore some of the challenges of supporting people to make changes and introduce some techniques for working with change.
3. Conflict and crisis – Reducing and managing conflict and crises with the person you support.
4. Learning, reflecting and support – To be better able to establish clear boundaries, positive communication and relationships.

Funded by BANES, Swindon & Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BSW CCG).

“Caring for someone with mental health problems can often be challenging. Those that attend the training leave with a range of skills and approaches to aid their caring role, as well as a range of stress management techniques and self-care ideas”, Carolyn Trippick, St Mungo’s Volunteer.

Feedback from past participants:

“If you are a carer, this course is vital to understanding how looking after you helps look after the person you are caring for”.

“The content was really informative. People were interactive with each other. Trainer was knowledgeable and friendly”.

“Everyone was given time to have a voice “share” their stories if they wanted to, as much or as little as they wanted. No pressure. Looking at self was really useful tool to be a better carer and look after myself better….”.

“Really helpful – covering quite a range of topics. Meeting other carers invaluable, too. Really well organised, wish I’d known about it ages ago!

Booking via Eventbrite. Participants should be available to attend all 4 sessions, in order to complete the course – Tuesday 10th, 17th, 24th & 31st January 2023 (10:00am-1:30pm). Free to carers living or supporting someone in BANES, Swindon or Wiltshire.

For more information (or to sign up to a course), contact Ralph Lillywhite, St Mungo’s Building Bridges Manager on 07825 115 775 or email ralph.lillywhite@mungos.org.

Further information can also be found on St Mungo’s Building Bridges to Wellbeing website www.bridges2wellbeing.co.uk.