Mental Illness Fellowship of SA - mental health education and training
Guest blog from John South, Administration Coordinator, Business Services, Mental Illness Fellowship of SA
The Mental Illness Fellowship South Australia (MIFSA) Education Awareness and Training Team, EAT, provides information and training to assist in a range of areas. These include:
- Removing barriers to understanding mental illness and social integration
- Assisting professionals to play a greater role in recovery and improved quality of life for people with mental illness
- Assisting supervisors, managers and forepersons to recognize mental illness warning signs and engage constructively with work team members at risk
- Understanding the role of medication, therapy and psychosocial rehabilitation
- How to recognise mental illness, causes, triggers and symptoms
- Identifying strategies that assist in managing the impact of mental illness
- Understanding the benefits of early intervention and relapse prevention.
Since its inception in 1983 the team has educated over 100,000 South Australians delivering informative, up-to-date education presentations and training sessions to tertiary institutions, primary and high schools, community groups and organisations, workplaces, government departments and church groups.
The team also draws upon the cultural and specific experience of other MIFSA staff to meet the needs of support workers or supervisors of people with CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) backgrounds. All training delivery involves at least one facilitator who lives in recovery from mental illness or is a carer of someone who lives with mental illness.
Sessions are interactive and facilitators seek to draw upon the working experience of participants with the people in their work teams. Our preference is to deliver a series of training workshops, or at least a half day of training and a single follow-up workshop, rather than one-off, unsupported sessions heavily loaded with information.
If you would like to contact the Education Awareness and Training Team telephone MIFSA on 8378 4100
