This session provides an overview of mental health, mental health issues and mental illness. This 3-hour session covers basic concepts, myths, barriers to support, and the PSW role in supporting a client with mental health issues. It provides a base for our other workshops on mental health. 

Designed for: PSWs and other support workers who have not had recent training in mental health. 

This session will help you:

• Examine personal beliefs about mental health issues, mental illness and the impact those beliefs may have when working with a client.
• Understand in general terms the most common types of mental illness among older people, including mood disorders, depression and other affective/thought disorders.
• Identify fundamental support techniques useful in working with clients with mental health issues.
• Identify risks to the support worker's own boundaries and well-being, and strategies to address them.

Establishing a rapport with clients experiencing mental health challenges can be complex and requires a thoughtful approach. This session focuses on building trust, strengthening engagement, and using effective communication techniques to support meaningful connection and collaboration. 

This session will help you:

• Understand the factors that may affect a person's willingness to accept support or trust others.
• Strengthen interpersonal skills to overcome client hesitation and build trust.
• Use effective communication techniques to engage clients who are reluctant or withdrawn.
• Communicate client progress and observations clearly with other team members.

This session covers the fundamentals of acute and chronic variants of depression and anxiety. We will discuss anxiety and depression as often co-existing conditions, useful interventions in supporting a client, and signs that additional intervention may be needed. There will be opportunities to discuss your own experiences and learn new techniques and approaches to better identify and support clients with depression.

This session will help you:

• Identify the key characteristics of anxiety and depression.
• Distinguish between acute and chronic forms of each condition.
• Apply interventions that are tailored to individual client needs.
• Understand the importance of sharing effective, strengths-based approaches with the care team.

This session discusses Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Hoarding Disorder as distinct conditions. Examine specific characteristics of each, and outline approaches that assist the client to manage characteristics.

This session will help you:

• Recognize the key characteristics of Hoarding Disorder.
• Understand the features of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and how it differs from hoarding.
• Select and apply interventions that are responsive to each client's unique needs.
• Share successful strategies and positive approaches with colleagues to support consistent care.

This session explores how cognitive loss interacts with existing mental health conditions and offers practical approaches to support positive, respectful experiences for both clients and support workers. 

This session will help you:

• Recognize how depression and cognitive loss may present in clients.
• Prioritize concerns and determine what to respond to first.
• Apply interventions tailored to each client's unique needs.
• Share positive approaches and effective strategies with team members. 

It's not uncommon for clients with chronic mental health issues to also experience acute mental health conditions. This session will provide you with skills to help clients manage both types. 

This session will help you:

• Differentiate between acute and chronic conditions.
• Understand compound and cascading changes and their impact on clients.
• Apply interventions tailored to individual client needs.
• Share positive approaches and effective strategies with the care team.

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This course is graded and includes 1-2 assignments. Students successfully completing the course will receive a certificate. A pre-course meeting with the trainer is included to help identify specific content areas your organization would like addressed and to tailor the course accordingly. 

We will also conduct a pre-session learning evaluation and can include an exemption process for students who have taken one of Capacity Builders 3-hour Dementia workshops. 

Benefits of the Specialist Certificate:

• A longer format allows time to explore conditions and concepts in greater depth, leading to stronger knowledge retention and application in real-world situations
• PSWs have more opportunity to practice and refine specific skills - such as communication, engagement and assessment
• Time to absorb content and receive feedback, ensuring PSWs gain confidence in supporting clients

Topics covered: 

• Fundamentals of rapport-building and communication
• Understanding engagement and how to support it
• Depression & Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• Hoarding
• OCD