Mental Health First Aid - a Wits Short Course

An in-person course that offers teacher development on easing trauma through HAPPy - healing arts pedagogy and practices. You will learn trauma theory and how it affects the child's thinking, feeling and doing. The practices offer simple ways to alleviate stress, shock and trauma through activities and creative challenges, which can be used in any classroom.

We aim to raise awareness around trauma in South African schools and provide knowledge that can assist teachers to offer psychosocial stabilisation of traumatised learners.

This course in Mental Health First Aid (MFHA) consists of theoretical lessons and a practical toolkit that is trauma-informed, resilience-focused and arts based. MHFA is NOT therapy, but an educational method based on therapeutic principles.

We will be meeting every day from 8th - 13th January 2024. A total of 6 days x 8 hours each from 8am - 5pm.

Where: In Yvonne Banning Studio on the 17th floor at Drama for Life. Drama for Life is located in the University Corner Building, on the corner of Jorissen and Bertha Street in Braamfontein. 

What you can expect:

• Some theoretical insights and practical tools:
• Self-care and presence-ing moments (self-regulation for co-regulation)
• Stories and theory (10 metaphors)
• Opening and closing circles - with a check in and warm up game
• Ideas for games and tools, songs, poems, drama, and artistic activities
• Therapeutic hand craft ideas

Assessment:

• Handing in a completed resource workbook
• 45 min intervention session presented in pairs: storytelling, movement, sound, silence.

You will need:

• Easy comfortable clothes that you can move in
• Writing material
• Lunch for yourself or money if you would like to visit the WAM cafeteria for lunch.
• Positive attitude and willingness to play

We will supply:

• Innovative ideas around relationality and healing in education through the arts
• Theoretical training and Practical skills training
• A resource workbook (to be completed for your assessment)
• Coffee, tea, fruit and biscuits (please arrange your own lunch)

Please email Welma de Beer to book your place: welmadb@gmail.com