Youth Mental Health Response · Training
Mental health first-response training for international school staff
When a young person is struggling, good intentions are not always enough. The adults around them need a calm way to notice, listen and guide them towards the right support.
Youth Mental Health Response is our school-specific training: three tiers, one curriculum, each tier matched to the role the adult plays. It is built on ANCHOR, our own supportive response framework.
What it is
“The goal is not to have the perfect words. It is to be the adult who can stay present when a young person needs someone not to look away.”
A practical first-response training covering adolescent mental health literacy, supportive conversation skills, escalation, safeguarding and whole-school systems. We take the first-response philosophy - spot signs, stay calm, listen without fixing, guide to help - and shape it around the adults who actually surround a young person in a school community.
The moments this is for
The moment. The response. The difference.
The work becomes real in ordinary conversations - often before anyone knows exactly what is wrong. Each of these moments has a shape: what happens, how a prepared adult responds, and what changes because of it.
A parent moment
- The moment
- The kitchen is nearly dark. A parent hears, “I'm fine.” They know their child is not.
- The response
- They notice, don't interrogate, and keep the door open - one gentle question, no deadline for the conversation.
- The difference
- The conversation stays open for the day their child is ready to use it.
A teacher moment
- The moment
- A student who is usually first out of the room lingers after class.
- The response
- Their teacher notices, pauses, puts the papers down and gives them time to begin.
- The difference
- The student does not leave unseen.
A staff moment
- The moment
- A staff member hears something concerning from a student - something beyond what a conversation alone can carry.
- The response
- They stay calm, know the limits of their role, and know exactly where to hand over.
- The difference
- The student reaches the right support quickly, and the adult is not left carrying it alone.
Who it's for
Parents, teachers and school leaders meet the same young person at different moments and with different responsibility. A parent is often the first to notice their child is shifting. A teacher sits in the middle. A school leader holds the conditions that let everyone else's work matter.
In international schools this is sharper still: families move every few years, students switch languages between lessons, and local support looks different in every city. So the depth of training matches the depth of the role.
NOTICE, HOLD and LEAD
Parents
NOTICE
Recognise the shifts. Hold the conversation. Know when to bring in others.
4 hrs
Teachers
HOLD
Stay present in the conversation. Hand on without dropping anyone.
1 day
Leaders
LEAD
Build the systems and conditions that let the work take root.
1 day (+1 day for HOLD)
Core programmes are available in English and German.
AI-powered tier finder
Which tier fits your school?
Describe your school, who you want to train and what prompted you to look at this now. We'll suggest the relevant tier and explain the fit.
This is an automated suggestion, not advice. If a young person is at immediate risk, follow your safeguarding procedure and contact emergency services.
What participants learn
Every tier teaches the same six ANCHOR steps. What changes is the depth: parents work on the early steps at home, teachers add the realities of working inside a school, and leaders work on embedding the framework across the whole community.
- 01
A
Arrive calm
- 02
N
Notice
- 03
C
Confirm you've heard
- 04
H
Honour the limits
- 05
O
Organise support
- 06
R
Return
Tier one · Parents · 4 hours (2 x 2h)
NOTICE
For parents who want to be useful when their own child is shifting, struggling, or pulling away. Practical skills for the conversations that happen at the kitchen table, in the car, in the long silence before bed.
What we cover
- The ANCHOR framework, adapted for use inside the family
- Recognising early signs and the difference between developmentally typical change and something that warrants a closer look
- Starting and holding a supportive conversation when your child doesn't want to talk
- Knowing when, how, and to whom to escalate, including how to work with the school
- Looking after your own wellbeing while supporting your child
A 4-hour parent workshop delivered as two 2-hour live sessions. Join through your school, or directly through a Let's Be Real open cohort.
Tier two · Teachers · 1 day
HOLD
Youth Mental Health Response for the classroom teachers, advisors, and pastoral staff who see young people every week, including neurodivergence-informed practice. Builds the confidence to spot early signs, stay present in a supportive conversation, and hand a young person on with continuity of care.
What we cover
- ANCHOR in the classroom: applying the framework across short conversations, ongoing relationships, and handover to colleagues
- Adolescent mental health literacy: the conditions students most commonly encounter, the early warning signs, and the language that helps rather than hinders
- Working with your school's existing safeguarding and pastoral structures, including documentation and the limits of your role
- Neurodivergence: how it can affect a young person's mental health, and how to adapt conversations about mental health to suit the needs of neurodivergent students
- The international school context: third culture experience, mobility, language, and how these shape what mental health looks like in your students
A full day, in-person where possible.
Tier three · Leaders · 1 day (+1 day for HOLD)
LEAD
For heads of pastoral care, deputy heads, counsellors, and school directors. Goes beyond first response into the systems that make everything else possible.
What we cover
- All HOLD-level content, taken to greater depth
- Designing pastoral and mental health policy that holds up in a real crisis: referral pathways, documentation, parent communication
- Supervising the youth mental health responders in your school, including reflective practice, refresher cycles, and vicarious load
- Building a whole-school mental health literacy environment
- Parent engagement strategy: bringing families into the work without it falling on individual teachers
- The international school dimension: working across cultures, languages, and transient populations
Two days, in-person where possible.
Certification & accreditation
Accreditation
MHFA-informed, not MHFA-accredited. The curriculum is independently developed by Let's Be Real.
Certificate
Participants receive the LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate for their tier: an LBR-issued professional training certificate, valid for three years. It is not an externally accredited clinical qualification.
Trainers
Our trainers hold current professional certifications in mental health first response.
Full details for procurement: learning hours, scope and renewal
Who gets which qualification
NOTICE, HOLD and LEAD at a glance
Each tier issues its own named LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate, an LBR-issued professional training certificate. The tier a person takes is determined by the role they hold in the school community, not by seniority alone.
NOTICE
- Who it is for
- Parents and carers; support staff who meet students informally
- Certificate issued
- LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate - NOTICE
- Learning hours
- 4 hours, delivered as two 2-hour live sessions
- Prerequisite
- None. Open to any adult in the community.
- Assessment
- Scenario-based practice during the sessions; no written exam
- Renewal
- Valid 3 years; refresher recommended at renewal
- What it authorises
- Recognising early signs, starting and holding a supportive conversation, and passing a concern to the school or a professional
HOLD
- Who it is for
- Classroom teachers, advisors and pastoral staff who see the same students weekly
- Certificate issued
- LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate - HOLD
- Learning hours
- 1 full day (in person where possible)
- Prerequisite
- None, but the participant must hold a student-facing school role
- Assessment
- Observed practice of the ANCHOR framework across realistic school scenarios, including handover
- Renewal
- Valid 3 years; refresher recommended at renewal
- What it authorises
- Everything at NOTICE level, plus an analysis of the status quo, a deep dive into signs and symptoms - including neurodivergence - staying present in an ongoing supportive relationship and handing over within the school's safeguarding structures
LEAD
- Who it is for
- Heads of pastoral care, deputy heads, counsellors and school directors
- Certificate issued
- LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate - LEAD
- Learning hours
- 1 day, plus 1 day for HOLD if not already held (2 days total for most leaders)
- Prerequisite
- HOLD, taken either previously or as the first day of the LEAD pathway
- Assessment
- Scenario practice plus a review of your school's referral pathway and escalation design
- Renewal
- Valid 3 years; refresher recommended at renewal
- What it authorises
- Everything at HOLD level, plus designing referral pathways and policy, and supervising the responders in your school. This workshop is intended for the entire leadership team.
Conditions that apply to every tier
- Certificates are issued to named individuals, not to the school, and stay with the person if they move schools.
- A certificate is issued only when the participant attends the full tier and demonstrates the core response skills during the scenario work.
- NOTICE does not need to be taken before HOLD. LEAD always includes HOLD content, either as a prerequisite or as the first day.
- Validity is three years from the date of completion, in line with industry-standard refresher cycles.
- Training is delivered by trainers who hold current professional certifications in mental health first response.
What no tier represents
- It is not a clinical or therapeutic qualification.
- It does not authorise diagnosis, treatment or ongoing mental health care.
- It does not replace your school's safeguarding policy, counsellor or local emergency services.
What the learning hours cover
Structured learning hours by tier
Every LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate is an LBR-issued professional training certificate backed by a defined set of learning hours. The tables below show exactly what is covered in each block, so schools can map the training against professional development requirements.
NOTICE
Format: Two 2-hour live sessions
Total learning hours: 4 hours
| Block | Module | What is covered | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Youth mental health today | Prevalence, protective factors and what is different for young people in international school settings, including third culture and transition pressures. | 0.5 |
| Session 1 | Noticing early signs | Behavioural, emotional and academic changes that signal a concern; the difference between distress and disorder; neurodivergent presentations. | 0.75 |
| Session 1 | ANCHOR: A - Arrive calm and N - Notice | Regulating yourself before you respond, opening a conversation without alarm, and naming what you have noticed in plain language. | 0.75 |
| Session 2 | ANCHOR: C - Confirm you've heard and H - Honour the limits | Listening to understand, reflecting back accurately, and honouring the limits of your role without shutting the conversation down. | 0.75 |
| Session 2 | ANCHOR: O - Organise support | Who to involve at home and in school, what to share and with whom, and how referral pathways work in practice. | 0.75 |
| Session 2 | ANCHOR: R - Return, plus assessment | Following up after a conversation, looking after your own wellbeing, and a scenario-based check of the full ANCHOR sequence. | 0.5 |
| Total learning hours | 4 hours | ||
HOLD
Format: One full day, in person where possible
Total learning hours: 6 hours
| Block | Module | What is covered | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block 1 | Foundations recap and role clarity | Refreshing the ANCHOR framework and defining where a HOLD-certified staff member sits between pastoral care and clinical support. | 0.5 |
| Block 1 | ANCHOR in depth | Extended practice of each step with harder openings, reluctant students and conversations that surface more than expected. | 1.5 |
| Block 2 | Disclosure and risk conversations | Responding to disclosures of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, abuse or eating difficulties; asking direct questions safely. | 1.0 |
| Block 2 | Boundaries and confidentiality | Confidentiality limits, safeguarding duties, record keeping, and holding a supportive relationship without taking on a clinical role. | 0.75 |
| Block 3 | Referral pathways and family partnership | Internal escalation, working with counsellors and external services, and difficult conversations with parents and carers. | 1.0 |
| Block 3 | Scenario assessment | Facilitated scenario practice assessed against the HOLD competencies, with structured feedback for each participant. | 1.0 |
| Block 3 | Staff wellbeing and sustainability | Recognising the load of supporting students, supervision and peer support, and knowing when to hand over. | 0.25 |
| Total learning hours | 6 hours | ||
LEAD
Format: One day, following HOLD certification
Total learning hours: 6 hours, plus 6 hours HOLD prerequisite
| Block | Module | What is covered | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block 1 | Whole-school response systems | Mapping the current response across pastoral, safeguarding and counselling, and identifying where students fall through gaps. | 1.0 |
| Block 1 | Policy and protocol design | Writing usable response protocols, thresholds and escalation routes that align with safeguarding and local legal duties. | 1.0 |
| Block 2 | Leading staff capability | Planning tier coverage across the school, briefing new staff, running refreshers and sustaining practice between formal training. | 1.0 |
| Block 2 | Crisis coordination | Coordinating an immediate response, communication with families and staff, and post-incident review and recovery. | 1.0 |
| Block 3 | External agencies and family partnership | Building relationships with local services across jurisdictions, and leading complex conversations with families. | 0.75 |
| Block 3 | Measurement and review | Indicators worth tracking, gathering staff and student feedback, and reporting capability to leadership and governors. | 0.75 |
| Block 3 | Leadership scenario assessment | A whole-school scenario assessed against the LEAD competencies, covering decision-making, delegation and communication. | 0.5 |
| Total learning hours | 6 hours, plus 6 hours HOLD prerequisite | ||
Hours shown are contact learning hours with a facilitator. Scenario-based assessment is embedded in the final block of each tier rather than sat as a separate exam. Schools that need a formal record for professional development can request an hours breakdown per participant.
Keeping the qualification current
Renewal timeline and process
The LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate is an LBR-issued professional training certificate, valid for three years. Renewal is simple, role-based and designed to keep skills fresh without asking staff to repeat the full programme every year.
What happens across the three years
- 01
Year 0
Certification
Participant completes the full tier - NOTICE, HOLD or LEAD - and demonstrates the core response skills through scenario-based assessment. The named certificate is issued with a three-year validity.
- 02
Years 1-2
Practice and light touch refresher
Certified staff apply the ANCHOR framework in their daily role. Schools receive optional micro-refresher prompts and can book short top-up sessions to keep confidence high between renewals.
- 03
Month 30
Renewal reminder
We contact the school and the certified individual three months before expiry with renewal options, dates and a clear recommendation based on the tier they hold.
- 04
Months 32-34
Refresher or renewal session
Most staff take a shorter refresher session focused on updated evidence, scenario practice and any changes to school policy. Staff whose role has changed may move up or across tiers instead.
- 05
Year 3+
Reissued certificate
After the refresher is completed, a new LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate is issued for a further three years from the new completion date.
Step-by-step renewal process
- Step 01
Receive the renewal reminder
Three months before expiry, we email the certified person and the school's wellbeing lead with available dates and the recommended route.
- Step 02
Confirm your current role
The right renewal path depends on whether the person still holds the same role, has moved to a more senior position, or has left the school.
- Step 03
Choose a refresher or retake route
Most participants take a refresher. If the certificate has lapsed by more than six months, or the role has changed significantly, a retake or higher tier may be more appropriate.
- Step 04
Attend the renewal session
The session reviews the ANCHOR framework, introduces any new evidence or case material, and gives time for scenario practice in a school context.
- Step 05
Complete the scenario-based check
There is no written exam. We confirm that the participant can still apply the core response skills safely and within the limits of their role.
- Step 06
Receive the new certificate
A new named certificate is issued digitally as a PDF, with a printed copy available on request. The school receives an updated summary list of certified staff.
Renewal keeps the role-skill match intact. A teacher who becomes a pastoral lead, for example, will usually move from HOLD to LEAD rather than simply renewing HOLD.
Evidence
What research shows
Kitchener and Jorm's work on mental health first aid, and later research on disclosure and safeguarding in schools, shows that non-clinicians can learn to offer a supportive first response.
What ANCHOR is designed to do
ANCHOR is our own framework built on that research. It gives adults in a school the same clear steps and handover points. It has not itself been tested in a trial.