The Supporting Mental Health in Adventurous Settings (VTQ)
course is a specialist one-day qualification designed for people who lead, supervise or support others during outdoor, expedition and adventurous activities.
The course provides a comprehensive understanding of mental health and equips learners with the knowledge and skills to support individuals who may experience mental health challenges during adventurous activities. It considers both general mental health and the particular pressures that can arise before, during and after expeditions.
Learners explore mental wellbeing and resilience, stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions, alongside expedition-specific issues such as pre-departure preparation, comfort zones, duty of care, communication with someone in crisis and recognising changes in a participant's behaviour.
The course also considers emotional intelligence, fixed and growth mindsets, mental health medication that participants may bring on an expedition, post-expedition depression and the positive contribution that adventurous activities can make to mental health.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is particularly suitable for people involved in outdoor and adventurous activities, including:
Outdoor instructors and activity leaders
Expedition leaders and support staff
Youth and community group leaders
Scout and Guide leaders
Duke of Edinburgh's Award leaders and supervisors
Outdoor education staff
Adventure tourism professionals
Sports and activity coaches
Teachers and others responsible for groups undertaking adventurous activities
Course Content
Topics covered include:
The difference between mental health and mental ill health
Mental wellbeing and resilience
Risk factors associated with mental ill health
Recognising how mental health problems can affect day-to-day living
Stigma, discrimination and attitudes towards mental health
Stress and managing stress during expeditions
Anxiety and panic attacks
Depression
Other diagnosable mental health conditions
Expedition-specific mental health concerns
Pre-departure preparation
Comfort zones and mental health during expeditions
The leader's duty of care and responsibilities
Communicating with a person in crisis
Emotional intelligence
Recognising changes in participants during adventurous activities
Fixed and growth mindsets
Starting supportive conversations
Supporting someone experiencing mental ill health
Action planning and promoting mental wellbeing
Mental health medication on expeditions
Post-expedition depression
The value of adventurous activities for mental health
Course Details
Duration:
1 day Guided Learning Hours (GLH):
6 hours Total Qualification Time (TQT):
7 hours Qualification:
Supporting Mental Health in Adventurous Settings (VTQ) Qualification number:
PRO/891/SMHAS Minimum age:
14 years Assessment:
Practical and theoretical assessments Delivery:
On-site at your workplace, organisation or suitable training venue Group size:
Minimum 6 learners / Maximum 6 learners
The course is CPD Certified, and the qualification is endorsed by an awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual.
On-Site Group Course
£749 for 6 learners
This is a fixed-size on-site group course for 6 learners.
The course fee includes training, assessment and ProTrainings certification for all six learners.
Following successful completion, learners receive their ProTrainings certification and access to the ProTrainings learner portal, which includes supporting learning resources and downloadable content.
This specialist course provides a particularly useful addition to conventional outdoor first aid training by addressing the mental health and wellbeing challenges that may arise when supporting people in remote, expedition and adventurous environments.
