30/09/2026
🌠 Participant Spotlight Testimonial 🌠
The most recent Participant Spotlight Testimonial is from one of our last two trainings at the Noarlunga & Tonsley TAFE SA Sites.
This time we Adelaide City Campus based Training and Assessment Lecturer Courtney Vibert.
🔴 What is your role at TAFE SA ?
I am a TAE (Training and Assessment) Lecturer based at the Adelaide City Campus, where I deliver qualifications and skill sets to current and aspiring vocational education and training (VET) practitioners.
🟢 How did you find the training?
I found the training to be insightful, honest, engaging, and highly practical. The content was delivered in a way that encouraged reflection and discussion, while also providing clear strategies that can be applied in everyday situations.
🟠What did you learn?
The training increased my understanding of a range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, su***de, non-suicidal self-injury, and bipolar disorder. I learned that persistent anxiety lasting more than two weeks may indicate a mental health concern that requires support and intervention.
One of the most valuable aspects of the training was gaining a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives on social and emotional wellbeing.
In particular, I learned about the importance of connection to ancestors, culture, community, and Country, and how these experiences should often be understood through a cultural and spiritual lens rather than solely through a mental health lens.
⚫️ How will the training help you in your work, family, and community roles?
The training has opened my eyes to some of the challenges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students may face on a daily basis. As a lecturer, this has helped me develop greater cultural awareness and empathy, which will support me in creating a more inclusive and supportive learning environment.
The course has also given me the confidence and practical skills to recognise signs that someone may be struggling and to provide appropriate Mental Health First Aid when required. These skills will be valuable not only in my professional role but also within my family and the wider community.
🔵 How was the training from a personal perspective?
From a personal perspective, the training encouraged me to reflect on my own experiences and develop a greater sense of empathy for others. As a first-generation Australian, I have been fortunate to have access to many opportunities simply because of where I was born.
The training reinforced my awareness that many Aboriginal Australians continue to experience racism and disadvantage simply because of who they are. This reflection has strengthened my commitment to understanding the experiences of others and being a more informed ally and advocate.
🔥 One word to describe the training
Deadly.
👏🏾 Sam Mitchell Training thanks Courtney for sharing her insights, experiences and honesty about what she had learnt during the training and how some of the skills and strategies can assist a person who is experiencing a mental health crisis.
📚 Sam Mitchell Training is off to the Port Augusta & Whyalla TAFE SA sites in a couple of weeks for another two exciting Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Mental 1st Aid Trainings to TAFE SA Lecturers at those sites.
