For Volunteers
Volunteers working with Surf Life Saving SA respond to people in their community on a weekly basis, to immediate safety concerns and at times mental health issues. This may include members of the public on patrol, families and members of the Club that attend Club events and programs.
There are increased mental health concerns arising in Australian families, concerns which have risen since the Covid-19 outbreak. The most recent National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing*, a community survey of 8,841 people aged 16-85 years of age, living in private dwellings across Australia, found that one in five (20%) had a common mental illness: anxiety, depression and/or substance use, at some time during the previous 12 months. This means that one in five Australians aged 16-85 experience some form of mental illness in any year. This is equal to 3.2 million people.
Volunteers will be responding to critical incidents and aiding the community and/or club members with mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation and/or substance use. Whole People provides training to ensure volunteers understand mental health concerns and how to respond to them. Whole People also discusses responding to critical incidents, trauma-informed care, and care for self after a critical incident and how to find appropriate support and referrals.
Training packages will cover:
Mental Health a continuum
Understanding emerging mental health; stress, anxiety, depression, substance use, and suicidal ideation
Responding to mental health problems
Responding to Critical Incidents
Trauma-informed Care
Referral and appropriate support
Mental Health Promotion – Tailor Made Package – 3 hours
Training Location: At your preferred location
Evaluation:
After the training program is completed, we would love to evaluate the success of the training for Volunteers at the discretion of the partnering organisation to ensure volunteers are able to transfer and use the training principals in practical ways.
