Course ID: TGS-2026061826
Dates: To be confirmed
Duration: 3 days
Level: Basic / Intermediate
Venue: Singapore University of Social Sciences
Synopsis
This 3-day course equips participants with practical knowledge and interpersonal skills to identify, engage, and support clients experiencing a wide range of mental health issues. Participants will explore clinical symptoms, risk signs, and behavioural presentations across anxiety, mood, personality, psychotic, neurodevelopmental, and cognitive disorders. Through case-based discussions, interactive lectures, and role-play scenarios, learners will build the confidence and strategies needed to respond supportively and appropriately in real-world settings.
Who Should Attend
Frontline service staff, social service professionals, healthcare assistants, case workers, Human Resource professionals, and anyone involved in direct engagement with individuals who may be at risk of or experiencing mental health challenges.
Topics
- Overview of Mental Health and Mental Illness
- The Mental Health Service Landscape in Singapore
- Symptoms and Presentations of Mental Illness
- Engaging Clients with Anxiety and Mood Disorders
- Suicide Risk: Assessment and Management
- Working with Individuals with Personality Disorders with Aggression
- Understanding Psychotic Disorders
- Working with Clients with Neurodevelopmental Conditions
- Understanding and Supporting Clients with Dementia and Cognitive Decline
- Adapting Engagement Strategies Across Client Groups and Settings
Objectives
- To increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions.
- To equip learners with strategies for effective engagement and communication with clients experiencing mental health issues.
- To build confidence in providing immediate support and knowing when and where to refer clients for professional help.
Learning Outcomes
A. Knowledge and Understanding (Theory Component):
By the end of this course, participants should be able to:
- Describe the key clinical features, typical presentations, and functional impacts of common mental health conditions (e.g. anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, psychotic disorders, dementia).
- Explain the structure of Singapore’s mental health service system and identify appropriate referral pathways for clients with varying levels of mental health needs.
- Explain the potential personal, social, and safety risks associated with untreated or poorly managed mental health issues, including suicide risk.
B. Key Skills (Practical Component)
By the end of this course, participants should be able to:
- Apply appropriate engagement and Psychological First Aid–informed strategies when interacting with clients presenting with different mental health conditions.
- Conduct a basic suicide risk assessment using a structured tool (e.g. Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale screener), and interpret risk levels to inform immediate follow-up and referral actions.
- Demonstrate effective communication, boundary-setting, and de-escalation skills in simulated scenarios involving distressed or high-risk clients.
Schedule
| Time | Topic/Content | Learning Outcomes | Activities & Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | |||
| 09:15 - 09:30 | Registration | ||
09:30 – 09:45 | Introductions Energizer Expectations of Workshop Overview of the Programme | Trainer and Learners Introductions Setting of course expectations Setting the right mindsets and expectations of learners’ behaviour in workshop | Energizer activity Management and alignment of training expectations and mindset
|
09:45 – 10:05 | Foundations of Mental Illness | Introduce basics of mental health (Definitions, Causes, Consequences, etc.). Also to introduce what constitutes mental well-being. The course trains one to manage those suffering from various kinds of mental disorders. One part of such outcome is to guide clients toward better mental well-being. This may include teaching some basic self-management skills as well as referrals to professional mental health services. Knowing the mental health services in Singapore, so participants know who they can refer to. | Short lecture with interactive group discussion and presentations. Use case examples and multimedia to illustrate key points. |
10:05 – 10:15 | Brief Overview of MSF cases with mental illness | Introduction typical mental illness encountered amongst MSF clients | Short sharing |
10:15 – 10:45 | Principles of Psychological First Aid | 8 Core Psychological First Aid Skills are taught:
*These principles will be applied to the cases throughout the workshop. Facilitator will highlight variations/adjustments to engage with idiosyncratic symptoms of specific disorders. | Short demonstrations Brief role plays to learn and sharpen skills
|
10:45 – 11:00 | Morning Break | ||
11:00 – 12:15 | Anxiety Disorders | Identify symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Social Anxiety Disorder. Learn engagement strategies to support clients with anxiety. | Identify symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Social Anxiety Disorder. Learn engagement strategies to support clients with anxiety. |
12:15 – 13:00 | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | Identify Symptoms of PTSD. Apply Psychological First Aid Skills to engage with clients with PTSD. Focus on support and encouraging clients to seek help. |
|
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch Break | ||
14:00 – 15:45 | Mood Disorders: Depression | Understand signs and symptoms of Depression, the most commonly reported mental disorder. | Interactive lecture with real-life case studies. Small group activities to discuss engagement strategies. Skills training: Role-play common scenarios. |
15:45 – 16:00 | Afternoon Break | ||
16:00 – 17:45 | Mood Disorders: Adjustment Disorder and Bipolar Disorders I and II | Understand Adjustment Disorder in MSF clients and how it may lead to suicidal ideations. Understand signs of Bipolar Disorders I and II, and how to distinguish the two types. Explore how to manage clients with Bipolar Disorder. | Interactive lecture with real-life case studies. Small group activities to discuss engagement strategies. Skills training: Role-play common scenarios. |
17:45 – 18:00 | Review of Learning Q&A End of Day 1 | ||
| Day 2 | |||
| 09:30 - 09:45 | Energizer Recap of Day 1’s learning | Learners take a short quiz that emphasizes main learning points from Day 1’s workshop | Short quiz |
09:45 – 10:05 | Suicide in Singapore | To gain knowledge of the landscape of suicide in Singapore | Short lecture sharing demographic statistics and information, using quiz format.
|
10:05 – 10:15 | Emotional grounding and framing | Why suicide work
requires structure Psychological safety for
participants Normalising discomfort | Open discussion
|
10:15 – 10:45 | Suicide Risk in Context | Suicide and the risk of
suicide in MSF context is discussed Suicide continuum
(ideation → intent → behaviour) Risk factors commonly seen in MSF cases:
Myths vs facts (e.g. “asking increases risk”) | Group discussions and presentations |
10:45 – 11:00 | Morning Break | ||
11:00 – 12:00 | Scale to Rate Suicide Risk | Introduction to the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) What the C-SSRS does and does NOT do Differences between:
Structure:
| Trainer-led walkthrough:
Training video |
12:00 – 13:00 | Interpreting Risk Levels | How responses translate into:
Common mistakes:
| Short demonstration Paired practices Open discussion
|
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch | ||
14:00 – 15:30 | Role-Play: Administering the C-SSRS | Participants rotate roles:
Scenarios may include:
| Triangle Role Plays Debrief focuses on:
|
15:30 – 15:45 | Tea Break | ||
15:45 – 17:00 | Role-Play: From Risk to Action (Management) | What to do after identifying risk:
Linking risk level to:
| Lecture with interactive components. Group discussion on follow-up steps and referrals. Case scenarios with problem-solving activities. |
17:00 – 17:45 | Ethical, Legal, & Professional Boundaries | Confidentiality vs duty of care
| Open discussion and sharing of strategies Couple of case studies can be used for application of learning.
|
17:45 – 18:00 | Review of Learning Q&A End of Day 2 | ||
| Day 3 | |||
09:30 – 09:50 | Energizer Recap of Day 2’s learning | Learners take a short quiz that emphasizes main learning points from Day 1’s workshop
| Short quiz |
09:50 – 11:00 | Obsessive-Compulsive & Related Disorders | Introduce OCD and Hoarding Disorder. Learn specific strategies to engage clients with these disorders. | Lecture with multimedia case examples. Group discussions on strategies to deal with compulsive behaviors. Skills training: Role-play common scenarios. |
11:00 – 11:15 | Morning Break | ||
11:15 – 13:00 | Personality Disorders | Understand the characteristics and behaviours of Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Explore engagement strategies managing people with personality disorders and aggression. | Case study analysis, group discussions on handling clients with personality disorders. Skills training: Role-play common scenarios. |
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch | ||
14:00 – 15:30 | Psychotic Disorders | Understand symptoms of schizophrenia, hallucinations, and paranoia delusions. Learn techniques for managing clients with this issue. | Case study analysis, group discussions on handling clients with various symptoms of psychosis. Skills training: Role-play common scenarios. |
15:30 – 15:45 | Tea Break | ||
15:45 – 16:10 | Dementia | Understand different types of Dementias. Identify the signs and symptoms of Dementia at various levels. Learn ways to communicate and engage. In addition, learn how to monitor and support caregiver stress. | Lecture with interactive components. Group discussion on engagement techniques. Case scenarios with problem-solving activities. |
16:10 – 16:40 | Self-Care for Officers | Learn various important strategies to be mindful and care for personal mental health.
| Open discussion and sharing of strategies |
16:40 – 17:00 | Summary of Workshop | ||
17:00 – 18:00 | Written Exam | Written Exam (1 hour). |
|
Assessments
- Written Exam
Requirements
- Attendees should have some prior experience working directly with clients or service users in social service, healthcare, education, or community-facing roles
About the Trainers
Donus Loh
Principal Consultant and Coaching Psychologist at Axon Strategies Global Pte Ltd
Donus Loh is a veteran corporate trainer and coach with over 20 years of experience designing and delivering high-impact workshops across a range of professional development areas, including leadership, resiliency, change management, and mental health-related. Among his areas of specialisation is the training of frontline professionals on how to effectively engage and support individuals experiencing mental health challenges — a topic he has taught consistently over the years to participants from healthcare, social service, education, and public sector organisations.
Donus brings together deep theoretical knowledge of mental illness with practical, hands-on strategies tailored for real-world application. He is also a highly experienced educator, having taught psychology and counselling related at institutions like SUSS, James Cook University, and College of Allied Educators. Donus holds postgraduate qualifications from University College London and the University of Edinburgh, and is known for his clear, engaging facilitation style that enables learners to gain both insight and confidence in applying new skills.
Application Procedures
Please submit the following documents to [email protected]:
- Coloured copy (back and front) of NRIC for Singaporeans and PRs, or "Employment"/"S" Pass for foreign applicant
- Application form
Course Fee
1 Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy:
Singaporeans aged 40 and above may enjoy subsidies up to 90% of the course
fees.
2 Enhanced Training Support
for SMEs: SME-sponsored employees (Singaporean Citizens and PRs) aged 21
and above may enjoy subsidies up to 90% of the course fees.
- Participants are required to achieve at least 75% attendance and pass any prescribed examinations/assessments or submit any course/project work (if any) under the course requirement.
- Participants are required to complete all surveys and feedbacks related to the course.
- The course fees are reviewed annually and may be revised. The University reserves the right to adjust the course fees without prior notice.
- Singapore University of Social Sciences reserves the right to amend and/or revise the above schedule without prior notice.
For the various payment modes, please refer here.
Course Withdrawal and Refund
Request for withdrawal from a course must be submitted to SUSS Academy formally in writing.
- Course Withdrawal before Application Close Date: No charges.
- Course Withdrawal after course confirmation: 50% of the full course fee with an administration fee imposed.
- Course Withdrawal after the course commences: Full course fee applies.
For clarification, please contact the SUSS Academy via the following:
Telephone: +65 6248 0263
Email: [email protected]