Communication Skills for the Mental Health Practitioner

Communication Skills for the Mental Health Practitioner is an elearning programme designed to help health and care staff improve their communication skills when supporting people with mental health needs. It focuses on safely de-escalating difficult situations and reducing the use of restrictive practices. The programme includes four online sessions and provides materials to support future face-to-face training. 

 

Intended audience 

This programme is for health and care professionals who support people with mental health needs, including: 

• Mental health nurses 

• Allied health professionals 

• Doctors working in mental health settings 

• Support workers and healthcare assistants 

• Staff involved in managing challenging behaviour 

• Educators delivering mental health training 

 

Key areas covered 

The sessions explore: 

• Core principles and strategies for effective communication 

• Verbal de-escalation techniques 

• Communication approaches during physical restraint 

• Communication approaches during chemical restraint 

• Workshop materials to support a blended 2-day training model 

 

Learning objectives 

By the end of the programme, learners will be able to: 

• Understand the key principles of good communication in mental health care 

• Use practical communication strategies to calm difficult situations 

• Recognise how communication can help reduce restrictive practices 

• Plan how to apply these skills in their workplace