Mental health first aid kit

Aims & objectives

The main goal for “Mental Health First Aid Kit” was to provide youth workers with specific tools and know-hows for managing and supporting youngsters in difficult situations. In addition, it aimed to break the stigmatization of this topic and to encourage the youth workers to also take care of their own mental well-being.
Key objectives:
-Recognition and Communication: Recognizing the signs of mental health issues and communicating the need to seek help to the young person
-Mental Health First Aid: Essential knowledge and skills for offering initial intervention and support during mental health crises, such as anxiety attacks
-Group Management: to understand the impact that a problematic situation related with mental health can have on a group and how to manage a whole group after a difficult situation
-Self-Care: To provide youth workers with the essential tools and knowledge needed for self-care.

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

Target group: teachers, youth workers, educators, coordinators
Countries involved: Estonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Malta, Italy, Portugal, Georgia, North Macedonia, Poland, Spain.

Training methods used & main activities

Role-play & theathre, educational escape room, temperament style tests & practical excercises after, group work, human library, games related to communication

Outcomes of the activity

The training provided participants with knowledge and tools to cope with mental health related situations. It helped them recognize the different types of mental health issues and understand the impact of trauma this can have on individuals. Parts of the workshops consisted of practicing communication skills not only with an individual but with the group. The training made the participants, largely youth workers, more aware of when and how to interfere and when it is necessary to seek professional help. The aim of the training course was not to become professional psychologists, but to support the preventive aspect - that many crises can be avoided with simple methods - and with dealing with the aftermath of a crisis. Another important part of the training helped participants to think about their own well-being and how to avoid burnout in their daily lives. In the long term, for the youth workers, this knowledge will improve the effectiveness of the participants' work and increase their confidence when working with young people. Young people in the area will benefit from the improved quality of work with them thanks to the participants in this training, who will be better able to help them.

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

I was the lead trainer and coordinator. I designed the program, wrote the project, coordinated the guest trainers and supported them with the dynamisation part as well as lead most of the workshops.

I worked on this training for 8 days as a full time trainer.

Testimonial of the reference person

I confirm that Anna-Liisu Arukask coordinated the above-mentioned formation. I would like to add that it was a pleasure to work with Anna-Liisu, she is an excellent colleague and leader. From the first moment of the training she knew how to organise and coordinate the whole group, looking for solutions when there was a problem and providing a pleasant atmosphere during all the days. She is a professional with a large experience in the field of non-formal education, a fact that everyone involved in the project could appreciate.