Inverness College UHI seek to remove taboo of mental health

Inverness College UHI is leading the way in providing Mental Health First Aid training – having revealed plans to deliver the course to staff as well as integrating the subject into one of its already well-established nursing courses.

College lecturer Chris Lemon, 37 of Lochardil, has been with Inverness College UHI for just over a year and is continuously seeking to improve upon the education provided to his students. A former mental health nurse himself for more than a decade, he decided – with support provided by the College – to complete Scottish Mental Health First Aid trainers course delivered by the NHS.

On completing this qualification, Chris incorporated the knowledge he gained into the Understanding Mental Health module provided as part of the Access to Nursing course at the College, under the title Understanding Mental Health. With the first students due to complete the updated course at the end of this academic year, Inverness College UHI has already begun looking at how else Chris’ qualification could be used to its benefit.

As a result, discussions are currently under way within the College that could see Chris deliver the Understanding Mental Health First Aid training to all College staff in a bid to give them more confidence when dealing with staff or students feeling distress, upset or anxiety.

Chris, who has worked as a Mental Health Nurse previously in Invergordon and Nairn, said: “We have almost finished the first Understanding Mental Health and Illness module with the mental health first aid integrated and it seems to have been a success, which is why the College is now considering delivering the course to members of staff.

“In doing this, we hope, not only to remove the taboo that surrounds mental health, but also provide staff members with the confidence to deal with situations whereby a person might be feeling anxious, upset or distress.

“Having been working in Mental Health for more than ten years, I believe this will be beneficial to staff members in the long-term and to Inverness College UHI in general, as we seek to provide excellent education for students in the Highlands and Islands.”

For further information on all courses available at Inverness College UHI please call 01463 273000 or visit www.inverness.uhi.ac.uk.