Inclusion in Mental Health Training, why it really matters

It’s not often that we come away from a Clear project training course having learned more than the participants. That’s why we wanted to take the time to show our appreciation to Laura Lyttle from Adapt NI and Sign Language Interpreters Conor and Seamus (picured below) who recently attended our Mental Health First Aid training in Limavady.  

Adapt NI is a non-profit that supports people who are Deaf, have hearing loss, and/or experience tinnitus across Northern Ireland to access and thrive in employment, training, and education.

Research suggests that people who are deaf experience mental health issues at around twice the rate of the hearing population. A 2023 report from the NHS Deaf Mental Health Working Group concluded that “there are unfair and avoidable differences between the mental health services available to deaf and hearing people,” with “a lack of consistent, accessible early intervention services for deaf people, across all ages.”

In the Clear project, which supports the community sector to prevent suicide, self-harm, drug, and alcohol misuse through training, grants and capacity-building, we know that the accessibility of mental health training is incredibly important. Not just because we are want to be inclusive of everyone, but because visibility matters.  

Working in a diverse environment educates everyone. The trainees on the day witnessed for themselves the physical, emotional and mental commitment made by Laura, Conor and Seamus through their participation, contribution and interaction to the intensity of the course over the two days. The trainers were mindful of the need to ensure that the course was delivered in a way that enabled the interpreters to manage the dialogue, interactive activities and the video clips. Laura herself was able to clearly articulate and raise awareness by her presence around the additional barriers that the deaf community grapples with.

The consensus was that everyone came away with additional learning, insight, empathy and knowledge as well as a certificate in Mental Health First Aid.