Not to put too fine a point on it I’m an expert. I’ve got 20 plus years of experience. It’s a hard won knowledge.
Except my understanding is very narrow, very focussed and intensely personal.
As I write I am on day 3 of my Mental Health First Aid Instructors course. The previous two days have seen us sit the MHFA course ourselves before going on to learn how to deliver it. We have talked about some taboo subjects, learn and laugh together and share our knowledge. Not everyone on the course has a diagnosis of a mental health condition but we all have some lived experience be it providing care to a loved one, professional services or being on the receiving end of help.
There’s a lot of research to do to prepare for the following modules – not least in the “helpful resources” section of our big manual. It’s been an eye opener for me about how little I know in some areas but the trainers and my fellow delegates have been unfailingly kind and generous – the most helpful resource of all.
I’m genuinely optimistic about us as a cohort of trainers. I can imagine working with all of my fellow learners and I hope they feel the same about me.
I’m also really excited about the first course that Charlotte and I are set to deliver on 4/5 March though there’s lots to be done before then
Anyway, I can’t stop, lunchtime is nearly over and with today being visiting speakers day I I really need to pick their brains and expand my knowledge. Who else could you talk with today in order to learn something new?