Global

Mental health first response: Risk conversations, substance use and naloxone

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 19 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
45 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At induction + annual update
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Suicide and self-harm risk conversations
What would you do?

Fictional case. Ade, a healthcare assistant on a medical ward, is helping Mr Okafor wash. He says quietly, 'There's not much point carrying on now.'

Try it: this is one of 23 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 45 minutes
  • Flashcards, scenario, step-by-step, sorting activity and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 11 slides
  • Word cloud, poll slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 154.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment-Whole course
LO 154.1.1Recognise common signs of depression, anxiety, psychosis and deliriumWHO fact sheets 2026; NICE CG103Lesson 1: Recognising common mental health presentations
LO 154.2.1Ask directly and compassionately about suicide and self-harm, find out what matters now, and refer + your infoNICE NG225; WHO 2014Lesson 2: Suicide and self-harm risk conversations
LO 154.3.1Treat sudden behaviour change as possibly physical and get help, using your local de-escalation policy + your infoNICE CG103; organisation policyLesson 3: Sudden behaviour change: think physical first
LO 154.4.1Recognise opioid overdose and respond, including giving naloxone where available + your infoWHO opioid overdose fact sheet; UK HMR 2012 reg 238; CDCLesson 4: Substance use and naloxone
LO 154.5.1Use non-stigmatising language and signpost to the right help + your infoNIDA Words Matter; NICE NG225; helplinesLesson 5: Stigma and signposting

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 19 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 45 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

Recognising common mental health presentations

3 pages

8 min
Before you beginNoteYour infoList
Low mood and anxietyTextTabsYour infoQuiz
Psychosis and sudden confusionTextFlashcardsQuiz
2

Suicide and self-harm risk conversations

4 pages

11 min
Ask directlyTextStep-by-stepYour infoYour infoNoteQuiz
What to find out after self-harmTextProcessYour info
Why there is no "risk score"TextSorting activityQuiz
What would you do?ScenarioYour info
3

Sudden behaviour change: think physical first

2 pages

5 min
It may not be "just behaviour"TextAccordionYour infoYour infoYour infoQuiz
What would you do?Scenario
4

Substance use and naloxone

3 pages

8 min
Spot an opioid overdoseTextFlashcardsImageMulti-select quiz
Respond to an overdoseStep-by-stepYour infoYour infoYour infoNoteQuiz
Who can give naloxone?TableYour infoYour infoScenario
5

Stigma and signposting

3 pages

8 min
Words matterTextSorting activityQuiz
Where to point peopleTableYour infoYour infoYour infoAccordion
Look after yourselfTextFlashcardsYour infoYour infoYour info
6

Final assessment

2 pages

5 min
Final assessmentQuiz
CompletionKey factListNoteYour infoButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

11 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

Title + agenda (notesTemplate disclaimer; all cases are fictional; content warning; do not share real patient details; signpost {{STAFF_WELLBEING_SUPPORT}})
Word cloudWhat words have you heard used about people who self-harm or use drugs?
True or falseAsking someone directly about suicide puts the idea in their head." - False ✔ [MED-24-V08]
Pick answerThree signs of opioid overdose?" - Pinpoint pupils, unconscious, breathing problems ✔ / Wide pupils, sweating, fast talking / Flushed face, fever, cough / Shaking, crying, laughing [MED-24-V21]
Correct orderOverdose response" - Call for help → Give naloxone → Lay on side / start BLS if not breathing normally → Stay and hand over [MED-24-V23] [MED-24-V27]
PollDo you know where the nearest naloxone kit is right now?" - Yes / No / We don't have one
Content · customiseOur naloxone kits, emergency number and mental health referral route {{NALOXONE_KIT_LOCATIONS}}, {{MENTAL_HEALTH_REFERRAL_ROUTE}}
CategoriseUse / Avoid" - person with a substance use disorder (Use) · addict (Avoid) · testing positive (Use) · dirty test (Avoid) [MED-24-V30]
Scales 1-5How confident are you asking someone directly about suicide?
Q&AQ&A with the mental health liaison or safeguarding lead
ClosingClosing - {{SURVEY_URL}}, {{COURSE_URL}}, {{EDUCATOR_CONTACT}}, helplines and {{STAFF_WELLBEING_SUPPORT}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. How confident are you talking with someone about suicidal thoughts? 1-5 scale
  6. How confident are you that you could recognise and respond to an opioid overdose? 1-5 scale
  7. Which statement is closest to your view? multiple choice
  8. In my team, people who use drugs or self-harm are spoken about with respect. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find our mental health referral route and where the naloxone kits are? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

19 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • Employee assistance or staff psychological support{{STAFF_WELLBEING_SUPPORT}}
  • Liaison psychiatry, crisis team or mental health referral pathway, with numbers{{MENTAL_HEALTH_REFERRAL_ROUTE}}
  • Confidentiality, consent and information sharing when someone is at risk{{INFORMATION_SHARING_POLICY}}
  • Your de-escalation and violence-prevention policy{{DEESCALATION_POLICY}}
  • Observations and checks for sudden behaviour change{{PHYSICAL_CHECKS_PROTOCOL}}
  • Internal emergency team number and national emergency number{{EMERGENCY_NUMBER}}
Show all 19 fields
  • Which naloxone product you hold, who may give it and how{{NALOXONE_PROTOCOL}}
  • Where kits are kept{{NALOXONE_KIT_LOCATIONS}}
  • Local rules for handing out take-home kits{{LOCAL_NALOXONE_SUPPLY_RULES}}
  • Basic life support procedure{{BLS_PROTOCOL}}
  • Crisis and support numbers for your area{{LOCAL_CRISIS_LINE}}
  • Crisis and support numbers for your area{{LOCAL_HELPLINES}}
  • Debrief after difficult events{{SUPERVISION_OR_DEBRIEF_ROUTE}}
  • Incident reporting system{{INCIDENT_REPORTING_SYSTEM}}
  • LMS or record system{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Survey URL{{SURVEY_URL}}
  • Live session URL{{LIVE_SESSION_URL}}
  • Course URL{{COURSE_URL}}
  • Educator contact{{EDUCATOR_CONTACT}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run mental health first response: Risk conversations, substance use and naloxone training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At induction + annual update (organisation policy).

Who needs this training?

Front-line clinical staff, healthcare assistants, care workers, emergency department, ambulance and community teams who are not mental health specialists.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

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Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.

See the live deck