Mental Health Survival Kit

Module Overview

Aims and Learning Objectives

One of the most damning obstacles in prison is the constant battle to preserve your sanity in a cold, harsh and ruthless environment. The severe prison atmosphere may aggravate existing mental health issues, increase violence, and enforce insecurity and solitude. You literally must be constantly on guard. For some, this is where they live. For you, this is where you work. While prison stressors are psychologically destructive and demoralizing to inmates, they are equally real to the line staff in the same environment. Most of these factors are inevitable within the majority of prisons and can be very harmful for people constantly exposed to them, causing mental health disturbance. Do you relate to this? Well, you have two options then: you can either live with it or act on it. It’s time to prioritise your mental health and the ones who depend on you – Do you want to know how? You are in the right module!

Target Audience & Requirements

This module includes valuable and important information for all prison staff to be able to preserve and manage their own mental health as well as to deal and address effectively the inmates that depend on them.

Duration and estimated workload of course

1. Mental Health of Prison Staff
• Mental Health Awareness: Estimated duration: 10 min
• Anxiety: Estimated duration: 25min
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Estimated duration 15min
• Managing Anger & Resolving Conflicts: Estimated duration 30min
• Strategies to balance work challenges with family and personal time: Estimated duration: 10 minutes
• Alcohol and drugs related to work pressure – A miracle worker?: Estimated duration 10min
• Referral practices and resources Estimated duration 7 min
• Developing an Action Plan: Estimated duration 20 min

2. Mental health of Prisoners
• Duty of care: Recognising common mental illnesses in prisons 10 mins
• Recognising factors in prisons which exacerbate – or cause – mental health issues 15 mins
• Developing a ‘whole-prison’ response to mental health awareness 15 mins
• Prisoners’ perceptions of mental health support in prison 10 mins
• Families and partners of prisoners 10 mins
• Mental wellbeing, preparation for release and through-the-gate mental health care 15 mins
• Mental Health Awareness Champions: managing change in your prison 10 mins
• Further resources for mental health capacity building 5 mins

Module support

It is advised to get in touch with mental health experts and referral sources if you wish to know more about the topics or to find individual psychological support.

Social Media Channels

You can find all relevant materials, such as videos, within the units.

Section Titles

Mental Health in Prison Staff

1. Mental Health Awareness
2. Anxiety
3. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
4. Managing anger & Resolving Conflicts
5. Strategies to balance work challenges with family and personal time
6. Alcohol and drugs related to work pressure – A miracle worker?
7. Referral practices and resources
8. Developing an Action Plan

Mental Health of Prisoners

1. Duty of care: Recognising common mental illnesses in prisons
2. Recognising factors in prisons which exacerbate – or cause – mental health issues
3. Developing a ‘whole-prison’ response to mental health awareness
4. Prisoners’ perceptions of mental health support in prison
5. Families and partners of prisoners
6. Mental wellbeing, preparation for release and through-the-gate mental health care
7. Mental Health Awareness Champions: managing change in your prison
8. Further resources for mental health capacity building