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The general knowledge and skills of staff working with people with learning disabilities have been of interest for a number of years, and Valuing People (DH, 2001) highlighted them as a significant issue. Research has shown that there are further deficits in the knowledge and skills of staff concerning the mental health of people with learning disabilities. This paper gives a general overview of some of the factors involved in the training and knowledge of learning disabilities staff relating to mental health. Early indications from research have shown that training may be effective as a way of addressing these problems, but further research and clear guidance on best practice in implementing staff training are needed in this important area.

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate an online mental health literacy training program for college female mentors.

Undergraduate female participants (n = 10) completed in asynchronous mental health literacy training. Participants completed the Heads Up Checkup (HCU) and mental health literacy scale (MHLS). Participant usage data were collected for the training course and analyzed using means and standard deviations. Qualitative data were analyzed by axial coding and thematic categorization.

The mean MHLS score, based on mean (M) and standard deviation (SD), was high for the participants (M = 145.69, SD = 8.41). Six qualitative themes from the training effectiveness feedback were used: (1) help-seeking, (2) stress management, (3) tailored guidance to resources, (4) understanding warning signs, (5) body image awareness and (6) engaging with mentees.

There are a few limitations to this study including the small sample size, unrestricted time frame for completion of the asynchronous training and the need for long-term follow-up of the intervention effects.

This pilot study provides initial support for the mental health literacy training program when implemented with undergraduate females.

Given inadequate mental health literacy in college females regarding such topics, continually training undergraduates about these warning signs is necessary. Future research could consider implementing this program with all gender identities, various age groups and in both synchronous and asynchronous modalities. This program could also be replicated using a pre- and post-test design to evaluate direct impact of the training on outcome variables.

All the participants discussed how the training prepared them in aiding mentees in help-seeking and identifying appropriate mental health resources. Participants also indicated how the training enabled personal and others-oriented stress management, which supports a mental health literacy training program that reduced stress in medical students.

Women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities face barriers to accessing perinatal mental health care. Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) is a state-wide service in Victoria, Australia, that supports specialist mental health service providers to improve cultural responsiveness. VTMH provided training for perinatal health professionals in cultural responsiveness. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A curriculum was specifically developed based on a literature review, consultation forum, and input from members of an industry-based reference group. An Evaluation Tool was designed to collect participants’ feedback regarding the perceived relevance of the training content and its impact on practice. Responses were analysed using quantitative techniques and thematic analysis.

Nine face-to-face training sessions were provided, in metropolitan and rural regions. In all, 174 professionals of various backgrounds (including midwives, mental health professionals, and maternal child health nurses) attended. In all, 161 completed evaluations were received and responses indicated that the training was of high relevance to the target workforce, that the training would have implications for their practice, and support was given for further training to be delivered using online methods.

First, an assessment of the cultural competence of participants prior to enrolment in the course was not conducted, and no matched control group was available for comparison with the participants. Second, generalisability of these findings to other settings requires further investigation. Third, the sustainability of the project is an area for further study in the future. Fourth, other methods including direct interviews of focus groups with participants may have yielded more detailed qualitative feedback regarding the effectiveness of the programme.

To facilitate the sustainability of the project, following the face-to-face training, an online training module and a resource portal were developed, offering links to relevant web sites and resources for health professionals working in this field.

The training addressed a significant unmet need for cultural responsiveness training for a diverse range of practitioners in the field of perinatal mental health. Online training can be adapted from face-to-face training and it is anticipated that online training will facilitate the sustainability of this initiative.

Paramedics increasingly attend to mental health-related emergencies; however, there has been little evaluation of the mental health training for paramedics. This study aims to analyze the fit between paramedicine pedagogy, patient needs and the conditions for paramedics’ skill development.

Data were collected in a single, qualitative, critical ethnographic case study of pre-hospital mental health and psychosocial care in paramedicine in Ontario, Canada. Transcripts from interviews (n = 46), observation (n ∼ 90h) and document analysis were thematically analyzed using a constant comparative method. The study is theoretically grounded in a feminist political economy framework.

Tensions are explored in relation to the pedagogy of paramedicine and the conditions of work faced by paramedics. The paper presents challenges and insufficiencies with existing training, the ways in which certain work and training are valued and prioritized, increased emergency care and training needs and the limitations of training to improving care.

Recommendations include more comprehensive didactic training, including the social determinants of health; scenario training; practicum placements in mental health or social services; collaboration with mental health and social services to further develop relevant curriculum and potential inclusion of service users.

This paper addresses the lack of mental health pedagogy in Ontario and internationally and the need for further training pre-certification and while in the workforce. It presents promising practices to ameliorate mental health training and education for paramedics.

This paper is the first of two linked articles that explores a shared learning approach to developing a module on collaborative working for graduate primary care mental health workers (PCMHWs). The article describes how the policy context shaped the training agenda and how the requirements of the roles and responsibilities in respect of collaborative practice were mapped against the Ten Essential Capabilities of the mental health workforce. The process of constructive alignment (Biggs, 1999) that involves matching teaching and assessment methods to intended learning objectives was used alongside evidence from the research literature on systems working and interprofessional education to inform the design of the modular curriculum in more detail.The second paper will provide an in‐depth evaluation of the module as it was delivered using a framework derived from the academic literature (See Bailey & Littlechild, 2001 and Barr et al, 1999a; 1999b). Included in the evaluation will be a discussion of how the context of workforce change in primary care mental health influenced the training inputs together with a reflection on the training methodologies employed to promote collaborative practice. Different levels of evaluating the training will be discussed including the impact of the module on practice outcomes such as attitudes of the workers and changes in their practice. The lessons learned from the evaluation will be discussed in relation to the models of best practice emerging from the IPE literature and the challenges of implementing a new workforce strategy in primary care mental health.

The training of future mental health professionals offers one avenue of change to improve service user and carer involvement in mental health services. This study looked at experiences of trainees on the University of Surrey's Clinical Psychology Doctorate programme in involving service users and carers on training placements. Twenty trainees completed a self‐report semistructured questionnaire providing qualitative data that were analysed using thematic analysis. A number of benefits of service user and carer involvement in training were identified as well as practical considerations, including factors that might facilitate or limit such involvement on training placements. It is intended that the findings will prove useful to others involved with the training of mental health professionals.

Approximately 90% of prisoners experience mental health problems, substance misuse problems or both. However, prison reception screening tools are not always effective in enabling staff to identify mentally disordered prisoners. Therefore, to ensure that these individuals get access to appropriate care, custodial staff should be trained in recognising the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders, and in effectively working with these individuals. This paper charts the pilot implementation of a mental health awareness workbook designed for use in custodial settings across England. It examines the variety of approaches adopted to implement the workbook, staff views on the usefulness of the workbook, and barriers to implementation encountered in each area. Recommendations made for best practice in delivering the workbook in other areas suggest a need for changes to its format, but also that time should be ring‐fenced for staff to participate in this training, in groups led by experts such as in‐reach team members.

This study aims to evaluate a training in mental health crisis support for non-mental health professionals who work in urgent care settings. The training consists of an e-learning module, a one-day face-to-face (F2F) interactive study day and simulation training.

This multi-methods study collected data pre and post training and at three to six months post training. Validated questionnaires, rating scales and open-ended questions were used to measure self-efficacy in health-care skills, attitudes towards mental illness and knowledge and confidence in working in mental health. A subsample of participants was interviewed post training about how they had used the knowledge and skills learned.

A total of 706 staff completed the e-learning, 88 attended the F2F training and 203 attended simulation training. Overall satisfaction with the training was high, with F2F and simulation training preferred. Statistically significant improvements in self-efficacy for health-care skills, positive attitudes towards mental illness, and mental health-related knowledge and confidence were found post training. Qualitative analyses of interview and survey data indicated that participants had translated learning to practice through improved attitudes and behavioural changes when working with patients experiencing a mental health crisis.

This training improved mental health-related knowledge, confidence and self-efficacy and reduced mental health-related stigma in professionals who provide urgent care to people in mental health crisis. Participants reported changes to their practice following training; this is important as care has been inadequate for this group. Workforce planners and leaders should consider implementing this or similar training widely.

Public mental health training can effectively support well-being at a population level. The application of this type of training is increasingly prevalent, however, training evaluation is currently limited and inconsistent. This paper aims to summarise the characteristics of public mental health training available in England, presents key quality criteria for this training and identifies gaps in training provision.

This paper uses a pragmatic mixed-methods approach including database and Google Searches, focus groups and survey methods. The data analysis included a structured data extraction template for the training availability scoping and thematic analysis of the survey and focus groups.

This paper identifies a total of 74 training courses targeting workplace employees, young people and the general population. Most courses were delivered face-to-face (54), followed by e-learning (16) and blended modalities (4). This paper derives four core quality principles, focussing on the training approach, key features of training, trainer attributes and evaluation. There were no significant gaps in training provision, although areas for future development included consistency in public mental health terminology, systems and populations requiring additional training and the logistics of training delivery, etc.

The results contribute to the evidence base of interventions that are currently available, supporting the efforts to evaluate the impact of training provision in this area. This paper provides a novel approach to assessing training quality and discuss areas for development and innovation in this field.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a focus for mental health training efforts to better equip officers to provide interventions and supports to help facilitate improved outcomes for people experiencing mental health crises.

A reflection on key evidence relating to mental health training programmes delivered to police, focussing on Australia, the USA and Canada.

While there are a number of similarities in the core content of mental health training programmes offered internationally, the availability and uptake of training across jurisdictions remains piecemeal and idiosyncratic. Police officers report a strong preference for hands-on experiential learning; this has immediate and direct relevance to their operational duties, and is consistent with core principles of andragogy. While all police employees require mental health training, specialised mental health training programmes should clearly be reserved for a select group of officers who volunteer after acquiring sufficient operational experience.

Priorities should centre on measuring the effectiveness of mental health training packages and discerning the active elements associated with changes in police skills and confidence, as well as identifying elements that support improved outcomes for people who experience mental illness and who have contact with the police.

Police need to continue to need to seek legitimacy with respect to their guardianship role as mental health interventionists. Training should tap into practice-based wisdom. Training should be practical, applied and reinforced through wider knowledge-based learning and workplace reinforcement. Training is needed for everyone, but specialised training is not for all. Police need to focus on the partnerships and expend time, energy and resources to maintain and grow them. Specialist (and other forms of) training needs to be evaluated so we understand what works?

There may be opportunities to streamline the delivery of knowledge-based aspects of mental health training and focus much more on experiential learning, both in specialised training courses as well as shorter mental health awareness sessions.