Our Wellbeing Training has been super busy these past few months, providing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) to a variety of workplaces within Plymouth to support their employees, colleagues as well as their students and community members!
With that, we got in touch with one of our recent delegates who had successfully completed Mental Health First Aid and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Emily Watkins from Arts University Plymouth to share their thoughts before and after attending both of our Advanced Mental Health Wellbeing Training Courses and how it has helped their personal and professional skills.
What made you sign up to attend Mental Health First Aid and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training?
“I previously completed MHFA training through a different provider many years ago (2018), and I could see how useful it was in my pastoral and mentoring work with university students—particularly in identifying and responding to mental health needs in the first instance. I wanted to update my training, so I am best equipped to help.
In my role, I work closely with students who are at risk of leaving their course, and they often present with poor mental health. This course has given me the confidence to talk effectively with them, empathise, and guide them to the right kind of support. As someone who regularly works with students who are feeling overwhelmed and isolated, I knew it was important to have up-to-date, appropriate training to be able to support them effectively. From time to time, I’ve had to ask students about suicide or suicidal thoughts, so ASIST was particularly helpful in providing a clear framework for approaching these conversations.
With ASIST training, I was hoping to feel more confident in helping people who are having suicidal thoughts or actively taking action to kill themselves, and I do feel that I am now much more confident and better equipped to do this.
With MHFA, although I did the training several years ago (5+), it has been very useful in my job. However, I needed an in-depth refresher, and I feel that I have learnt many useful skills and different ways of talking about mental health.”
During both sessions, how did you feel the training delivery went, did you find the content useful, the activities that you did during the two days?
“The delivery was excellent! Mandy Chapman and Warwick were great—friendly, personable, but also knowledgeable, professional, and well-informed. As with most training, there is the dreaded ‘role play’, but we quickly saw how beneficial it was to be able to practise in a safe, supportive space. The trainers followed the guidance in a way that was clear and thorough, and explained all of the stages clearly. Both training was very insightful, and the trainers were helpful – it was great to meet with them.”
“Overall, both trainings have significantly enhanced my confidence and capability in supporting student mental health, and I feel much better equipped to have difficult conversations and offer meaningful support.”
It’s been a few weeks since you completed the training, how has both courses helped you since in and outside of your workplace?
“As it is a quiet period in the academic year, fortunately I have not had to use much of the training yet, but I anticipate it will be very useful when students return in September.
It has, however, made me feel a lot more confident about using the skills in my personal life, which is something I might have been more reluctant to do in the past. I’m not sure why this is—perhaps because of the closer emotional connections with people, it can feel more difficult to approach. But the training has helped me feel more prepared and capable of having those conversations.”
Do you think more individuals should attend our Wellbeing Training and why?
“Absolutely! We need to cultivate a culture of care for one another, and I believe that if more people had MHFA and ASIST training, it would be easier to look out for others and have more open conversations about mental health and wellbeing. We know that suicide is one of the leading causes of death among working-age people, and many of these deaths could be preventable if we understood how to talk about it and offer appropriate help in the moment.”
Thank you, Emily, for sharing your thoughts on our Advanced Training Courses. We truly appreciate your feedback and are so pleased to hear that the content has helped build your confidence and knowledge. We hope these skills continue to support you—in and outside of the workplace.
If reading this has inspired you to explore our competitively priced Wellbeing Training courses for your business or community setting, we’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with us at livewell.workplacehealth@nhs.net to start planning for 2026.
Let’s work together to build a healthier, more supportive future for everyone.
