MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE TRAINING
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Mental Health Response Training is a whole‑day CPD programme for schools and colleges that provides staff with a clear, psychologically grounded approach to supporting pupils with emotional and mental health needs. It is designed to build staff confidence, role clarity and consistent, safe, effective practice across the school.
What is Mental Health Response Training?
Supporting pupils with emotional and mental health needs is a core part of school life, yet many staff report feeling unsure about what to look for, how to respond, and what is realistically within their role. Mental Health Response Training provides a clear, practical and psychologically grounded framework that helps staff feel confident, calm and well‑equipped in these situations.
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Developed and delivered by Educational Psychologist, Dr Ali D’Amario, this full‑day course gives staff a shared language and approach for noticing concerns, offering safe and attuned support, and knowing when and how to escalate within existing school systems.
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This training is designed to be inclusive, accessible and cost‑effective, allowing up to 30 members of staff to be trained together. It recognises that mental health concerns are often first noticed by the people who spend the most time with pupils, including teachers, teaching assistants, office staff, lunchtime supervisors, pastoral staff, chaplains, Mental Health Leads (MHLs), Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs), Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and Senior Leaders. ​By training staff across roles and responsibilities, schools develop a consistent, confident and joined‑up response that supports both pupils and the adults working with them.
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What the training covers...
The FIRES Framework
A psychologically sound framework allowing staff to feel confident by providing a calm, practical approach staff can use immediately.
An understanding of the Mental Health landscape for CYP
An insight into the factors affecting children and young people and how this can be supported at a systemic level within schools
Safe Boundaries
Ensuring staff know what they can do safely, and knowing when to refer for additional support.
Suicide-safer practice
Equipping staff with the language, confidence and protocols to identify students at risk and respond safely and effectively.
Identification of need
A detailed exploration of the most common mental health needs and signs to look out for, including self-harm, depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Emotionally attuned communication
Giving staff the skills to help pupils to feel listening to, validated, understood and supported.
School Mental Health Response Handbook
​​This training is grounded in the principles set out in The School Mental Health Response Handbook (2025), written by Dr Ali D’Amario & Dr Tina Rae. The handbook provides a clear, accessible framework for recognising concerns, responding safely and supportively, and understanding the boundaries of the school’s role. It offers practical tools, scripts and guidance that staff can return to long after the training day.
To support implementation and consistency across the setting, every training session includes a complimentary copy of the handbook, enabling schools to embed the model into everyday practice.​