The course will develop participants' knowledge and confidence in mental health conditions. It assumes previous knowledge and aims to equip participants to work with vulnerable people where mental health conditions are secondary to their main vulnerability. The course will not in itself equip participants to take on mental health cases.

Course content:

By the end of the course, participants will have: 

• Considered different perspectives on what constitutes mental health and mental ill-health. 
• Improved knowledge of the most prevalent psychiatric diagnoses from the ICD-11 and DSM-5 and their impact upon communication. 
• Considered critiques of diagnostic approaches to psychiatry. 
• Explored the fundamental nature of emotional co-regulation and self-regulation to mental health and communication. 
• Considered some perspectives of people diagnosed/impacted upon by mental health conditions. 
• Improved knowledge of the Mental Health Act.
• Improved knowledge of the main groups of psychiatric medication and their impact on communication. 
• Improved understanding of complex presentations: concurrent mental health conditions, addiction issues and/or learning difficulties/disabilities, and 'personality disorders'.
• Explored how an intermediary works within a witness' professional network and accesses information from it. 
• A better understanding of how to address safeguarding concerns in relation to mental health. 
• Explored approaches to assessing the impact of mental ill-health and emotional dysregulation on communication. 
• Increased confidence in writing up assessment findings and recommendations for adjustments to support effective participation. 
• Explored a range of case studies of witnesses with mental health issues.

Course aims/objectives:

1. Build participants' knowledge and understanding in mental health and confidence in working with mental health conditions. 

2. Equip participants to work with vulnerable witnesses where mental health conditions are secondary to their main vulnerability. 

3. The course will broaden and deepen participants' understanding of this challenging and complex area. 

4. The course will not, in itself, equip participants to take on mental health cases.

Course method:

The workshop is run in the form of a small group training. The presenter will persent information and will invite high levels of participation and sharing of knowledge and ideas. The approach to learning will include:

1. Direct teaching. 

2. Small group exploration and facilitated large group discussion. 

3.  Exploration through a variety of media: film, articles, books, of differing perspectives on mental health and ill-health. 

4. Use case studies and examples from intermediary reports. 

The following materials are provided: 

• Timetable
• Powerpoint presentation
• Bibliography and further reading list
• Additional relevant resources