The remote and isolated health workforce frequently identify that they feel insufficiently trained and skilled to manage people presenting with acute mental health issues, substance use, suicidal behaviours and episodes of acute distress. This course aims to build participant knowledge, skills and confidence in responding to such presentations.

About this course

• Are you con­fi­dent of your abil­i­ty to man­age men­tal health emergencies?
• Would you like to devel­op your skills in respond­ing to acute men­tal ill­ness and severe distress?
• Are you required to assist clients who have used sub­stances or alcohol?

The Men­tal Health Emer­gen­cies (MHE) course is designed to enable remote health staff to devel­op the knowl­edge and skills nec­es­sary to respond with con­fi­dence when encoun­ter­ing clients pre­sent­ing with acute men­tal health issues, sub­stance use, sui­ci­dal behav­iour or episodes of acute distress.

Who is this course for?

The MHE course is designed to meet the learn­ing needs of the remote and iso­lat­ed health work­force (Nurs­es, Mid­wives, Abo­rig­i­nal & Tor­res Strait Islander Health Workers/​Practitioners, Para­medics and Med­ical Offi­cers) who assess and man­age clients with men­tal health needs, sub­stance use or episodes of acute distress.

Course delivery

The MHE course uses a blend­ed learn­ing approach:

• Online pre-course mod­ules that must be com­plet­ed pri­or to the workshop
• Atten­dance at a one day face to face workshop

On completion, clinicians will have covered:

• Effec­tive communication
• Men­tal health assessment
• Men­tal health emer­gen­cies — acute dis­tress and acute men­tal illness
• Man­ag­ing acute men­tal dis­tur­bance – cur­rent best prac­tice in the remote & iso­lat­ed health context
• Man­ag­ing acute intox­i­ca­tion and with­draw­al – cur­rent best prac­tice in the remote & iso­lat­ed health context
• Self-harm and suicide

The NT PHN will be fully funding five Tenannt Creek clinicians to complete the CRANAplus Menta Health Emergancies course. Eligible health workforce includes health professionals working in private practice, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and not-for-profit organisations.

Expressions of interest close April 20 2022.