RCVS Academy launches new mental health courses
The two courses are accompanied by an Academy Live event in November.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has added two courses on mental health to its online learning platform.
The new courses, available for free on RCVS Academy, explore how veterinary professionals can manage their mental health and discusses the importance of suicide awareness.
‘Managing mental health in the workplace’ is intended for current and aspiring veterinary managers and leaders. The course addresses preventative approaches to mental health at work, including the signs of mental health challenges and constructive ways to respond, such as creating an inclusive and supportive environment.
This course has been created in collaboration with clinical psychologist Jo Burrell and chartered clinical coaching psychologist Felicity Baker.
‘Suicide awareness fundamentals’ will provide veterinary professionals with a fundamental knowledge and understanding of suicide. The syllabus will consider the factors which may contribute to suicide, and enable learners to feel more prepared to respond to suicide-related situations with care.
This course has been developed with Rosie Allister MRCVS, a veterinary mental health, wellbeing and suicide researcher. Dr Allister is also a consultant manager at Vetlife Helpline.
Both of the courses contain six modules, and are available to access in the ‘Culture and wellbeing’ category of the RCVS Academy website.
RCVS Academy will also be hosting an Academy Live event to introduce the courses on Monday, 3 November at 1pm. The event, ‘An introduction to managing mental health in the workplace', will give learners the opportunity to interact directly with subject matter experts.
Rapinder Newton, lead on the Mind Matters Initiative, said: “Too often, responses to mental health in the workplace are reactive and only when individuals are struggling with their mental health. These courses support MMI’s aim to shift the focus to organisation and systemic change; to create environments that prevent or limit harm, support wellbeing and make it safe for people to thrive.
“We hope that everyone who completes the courses can take away at least one or two learnings that they can reflect on and then use to make changes in their place of work. We recognise that having conversations about mental health at work can be daunting and feel challenging – these courses are designed to help provide you with the skills and confidence to have those vital conversations.”
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