Mental health unscheduled care services: resources

Appendix 1: NHS Education for Scotland and Public Health Scotland: Mental Health, Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention

The digital resources for Informed and Skilled.

Informed Level Resources

Ask, Tell Animations – Adult

Three educational animations which inform individuals working with Adults about mental health, how to maintain this; the factors that can lead to mental distress or mental ill- health; how to have compassionate conversations which sets out how to support people who are experiencing mental distress or may be feeling suicidal and help them seek help.

Timing: Each animation is around 5 minutes. Although these can be viewed on their own, it would be recommended that these are viewed as part of a wider learning activity. (See eLearning Module)

Access: Ask, Tell, Look After Your Mental Health. Understanding mental health and keeping mentally healthy.
Access: https://learning.publichealthscotland.scot/course/view.php?id=620

Ask, Tell, Have a Healthy Conversation supporting compassionate conversations with people who may be experiencing mental ill-health or distress or at risk of suicide -
(open access: https://learning.publichealthscotland.scot/course/view.php?id=620)

Ask, Tell, Save a Life: Every Life Matters suicide prevention and keeping people safe.
Access: https://learning.publichealthscotland.scot/course/view.php?id=620

eLearning module

A standalone e-learning module which combines the three animations with ‘check your learning’ multiple choice questions at the end of each animation.

Timing: This will differ for each individual dependent upon current knowledge and learning needs. The eLearning module can be completed as short as one hour.
Access: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/17262

Facilitated Workshop option

A facilitation pack is available to support the delivery of informed level workshops and support local delivery via a digital platform. This provides the opportunity to deliver each of the animations in a structured interactive session, providing the opportunity to explore issues further. This option is available for those facilitators who have knowledge and experience within mental health and/or suicide prevention.

Timing: Each of the facilitated sessions have been developed as 1 hour sessions. (3 in total)

Access: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/35565

Supporting a mentally healthy workplace: a guide for managers

A presentation is available for managers, team leads and people in similar roles. It is designed to help you to be better able to support the mental health of employees and to encourage good practice in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Access: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/46641

Skilled Level Resources

Five Learning Bytes which cover topics such as inequalities, stigma, and the wider factors and life experiences that impact on people’s mental health such as employment, housing, relationships, physical health, substance use and trauma These Learning Bytes include a range of case studies that help build knowledge and skills on the following areas:

Learning Byte 1: Promoting Mental Health and Tackling Inequalities

Includes understanding what mental health is, features of positive mental health, determinants of mental health, trauma and inequalities that can lead to mental ill health, what works to improve mental health and how you can apply this knowledge in your own workplace.

Access: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/37027

Learning Byte 2: Supporting People in Distress and Crisis

Includes understanding distress, crisis and related risk or protective factors, recognising when someone may be experiencing distress or crisis, providing a compassionate and helpful response, supporting self-help and problem-solving and knowing how and when to access more urgent support for someone.

Access: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/38199

Learning Byte 3: Supporting People at Risk of Suicide

Includes the factors that may lead people to think about suicide, working with people to assess their risk of suicide, conversations that enable people to talk about their thoughts of suicide, when to seek emergency support and intervention for people at risk of suicide, practical and emotional approaches to supporting people at risk of suicide. Part B includes additional information about children and young people who may be at risk of suicide.

Access: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/41022

Learning Byte 4: Supporting People at Risk of Self-Harm

Includes the different reasons why people self-harm, understanding self-harm as communication of distress, some common misconceptions surrounding self-harm, impact of thoughts, feelings and emotions on self-harm, adopting a sensitive, compassionate and non-judgemental approach when talking about self-harm, risk and protective factors associated with self-harm, ways you can positively respond to and talk about self-harm.

Access: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/39315

Learning Byte 5: Supporting Recovery and Quality of Life for People Living with Mental Ill Health

Includes understanding the concept of recovery and how to work in a way that promotes this, supporting people to engage with wider community resources that promote social and peer support, meaningful purpose and positive relationships, understanding the physical health problems and barriers to treatment and lifestyle change that can be experienced by people living with mental ill health, recognising the impact of stigma and discrimination on mental health recovery, and promoting inclusion, health and quality of life.

Access: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/38200

The learning bytes are designed to be used flexibly by individuals, teams, organisations to meet local learning and development needs and priorities. Each of the learning bytes can take an individual around 3-4 hours dependant on current knowledge of topics. Times may vary if working through the learning bytes as part of a team or group.

For further information on these resources or to explore ways to be more involved, please contact:

The PHS/NES Team Email: Psychology@nes.scot.nhs.uk

Suicide Prevention and Self-harm