Free Mental Health First Aid at UM, MCAST, ITS and Higher Secondary.
Following the success of last year’s pilot project of a Mental Health First Aid Course on campus, The Malta Trust Foundation has collaborated to provide more identical courses at UM, MCAST and other institutions around Malta. The courses will be taught by Richmond Foundation and will be provided free of charge. This project aims to move towards an ideal where mental and physical health are valued equally.
These courses are for anyone. In that, they enable students that are not in psychology or medical courses to learn about mental health and how to tackle related issues. The project is led by The Malta Trust Foundation, a non-profit chaired by President emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca. Numerous local student councils also collaborated on this project, including KNZ, KSU, KSM, ITSC, and SRC.
This project is needed for many reasons…
Her excellency was present at this Wednesday’s project launch and praised the respective student councils for collaborating on this initiative. KNZ tackled a stigmatized topic and acted on it, she said. The project is once again a portrayal of the Maltese people’s generosity. It is being done by the students and for students and shows that we care for each other.
I admire you that you are willing to carry this responsibility and prove a point even to us, the older generations.
H.E. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca
She admitted that even she feels that sometimes her ‘usual pep talk’ is not enough to help an individual going through a rough time. Technical training is needed for anyone to capably help their friends or family dealing with mental health issues. Individuals would rather confide in close friends rather than talk to professionals who they see as strangers because the stigma is still strong.
Image Credit: The Malta Trust Foundation