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Trainer Profiles

Meet some of our trainers:

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Mahess Jeeawock (Lecturer in Mental Health)

I have worked in various area of clinical practice as a Mental Health Nurse for 20 years before becoming a Mental Health Lecturer Practitioner at the University of Brighton and the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Within the University I have been involved in the teaching of pre and post Registration Mental Health Nursing courses and developed and delivered a number of Mental Health Modules. My role in the Sussex Partnership Trust was to organise and deliver training to multidisciplinary teams across a range of topics including Management and Prevention of Aggression and Violence, Understanding of Mental Health and Mental Health problems, recovery and recovery principles and suicide prevention.

Very early on in my lecturing career, I helped to establish a Mental Health Service Users and Carers Group (CUSER) which enabled mental health service users to have meaningful involvement in education and local service development. The work of the Group has been disseminated through many workshops and conferences and celebrated its 20years of existence in 2019.

I am also a registered MHFA and ASIST trainer.

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Rachel van Hoven

I have worked in the charity sector in a variety of roles for the past 14 years and first started delivering ASIST in Dublin with Aware, Ireland’s depression and suicide charity and the National Office for Suicide Prevention. I have trained professionals from a wide range of backgrounds including primary and secondary health care, the education sector, the police and emergency services. I love teaching suicide first aid and seeing participants commit to learn and try out new skills which have the potential to save lives. Each ASIST I deliver I too learn, from the people taking part, through their active participation. I am grateful for the continuing enrichment and development this brings. I am proud to be part of the Grassroots trainer network and to have the opportunity to contribute to a suicide safer community where people in crisis are supported and find ways to choose life. 

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Nick Brown

I have a long and happy association with Grassroots since 2007 when I delivered my first ASIST workshop for them. 90 workshops later I am continuing to deliver ASIST along with safeTALK, Mental Health First Aid and ASK. I train new trainers in ASIST and in Mental Health First Aid which involves Coaching and Mentoring. Helping people to grow in confidence and develop their skills is very satisfying. Direct and honest talk about Suicide plus the principle that anyone can learn to intervene to keep people safe are values I share closely with Grassroots. 

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Lesley Woolf

What got me into Suicide prevention?

I had been a mental health nurse for over 25 years when I first did any specific training around suicide, and this was ASIST. I was so inspired by this training, and the trainers, that I attended an ASIST T4T and began working alongside Grassroots. Grassroots opened my eyes to how statutory and non – statutory services could work together to improve peoples’ mental health and, more particularly, their struggles with suicide.

What I most enjoy

I love delivering training for Grassroots, as I get to meet such fabulous people. People wanting to learn about how to help people struggling with suicide and/or self-harm. The courses are high quality in terms of design and content, and so I know that participants will finish the course with greater confidence, skills and willingness to help someone at risk of suicide and/or self-harm.

Knowing this is a fantastic feeling

I am passionate about suicide prevention as I know it saves lives. Grassroots play a big part in helping people see how powerful they can be by starting a real conversation with someone who may be struggling. This helps keep our community safer from suicide.

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Chris Morgan

I have been delivering mental health awareness training and suicide prevention training since 2003.  My background before that was as Managing Director of a small engineering company.  I have personal experience of depression.

From 2004 to 2009 I worked for the National Institute for Mental Health in England.  I was Suicide Prevention Lead for South East England.  One of my projects was to spread ASIST training across the SE region.  In 2007 I was a founding member of the Mental Health First Aid National Training Team, and I still train MHFA instructors, as well as deliver the whole range of MHFA courses.  I also qualified as an ASIST trainer in 2007.

I enjoy meeting new people and spreading the word about the importance of suicide awareness and prevention.

Did you know 1 in 5 people will have suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives?

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