SUPPORTING COMMUNICATION NEEDS IN YOUTH WITH CO-OCCURRING MH CHALLENGES

This one-day workshop will focus on how we can provide more effective support for young people with co-occurring speech, language and communication needs and mental health challenges. This workshop will be helpful for a broad range of practitioners and lived experience workforces.

Many young people with mental health challenges have underlying speech, language, and communication needs, which are often under detected, assessed and supported in youth mental health services. This impacts on the effectiveness of treatment and ultimately functional outcomes. This workshop will focus on recognising and understanding the impact of speech, language, and communication needs in young people, knowing when to refer on for further assessment and consultation and to try out practical strategies for supporting young people’s communication needs during treatment.

You may want to consider attending both this workshop and the one day workshop on Recognising and adapting our practice for young people with co-occurring mental health and cognitive challenges on the 10 June.

At the completion of this day workshop, you will be able to:

• understand the bi-directional relationship between speech, language and communication needs and mental health challenges in young people.
• understand typical speech, language and communication development in young people aged 12 to 25 years and identify the signs when there are difficulties.
• articulate the relationship between speech, language and communication needs and mental health difficulties in your formulations.
• practise using strategies and materials to adapt your communication and interventions.