A nationwide programme to improve mental health support in schools and strengthen partnerships with the NHS is looking for people to deliver training.
The multi-million pound Government funded Link Programme will offer training to a member of staff who is the mental health lead at every school and college in England through a series of workshops.
The training, led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, will be rolled out in phases to up to 22,000 schools and colleges across the country over the next four years.
The centre is recruiting a paid workforce to deliver the training.
Jo Holmes, BACP Children, Young People and Families lead, said: “Counsellors are ideally placed to provide this training.
“Whether they work in private practice, within schools or local organisations, they have the professional expertise and the knowledge of the local landscape that is crucial to deliver this training. They have the awareness of local services which school staff would need to refer on to.
Good opportunity
“It’s a good opportunity for counsellors to be part of a project that will make a difference to how schools support young people’s mental health.”
The programme’s aim is to raise awareness of mental health concerns within schools, to improve referrals to specialist help when needed and enhance partnerships with professional NHS mental health services.
It’s hoped it will stop young people falling through the gap or experience poor transition between services.
The project was outlined in the government’s green paper Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision outlining how every school should have a designated lead for mental health.
We believe schools should also have a paid counsellor.
To find out more about the opportunities available with the Anna Freud Centre as part of this project email: schoolsinmind@annafreud.org