Become a Mental Health First Aider
Mental Health First Aid is a training course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.
Our MHFA course won’t teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening.
You’ll learn to recognise warning signs of mental ill health and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone while keeping yourself safe.
You’ll also learn how to empower someone to access the support they might need for recovery or successful management of symptoms. This could include self-help books or websites, accessing therapy services through their GP, their school or place of work, online self-referral, support groups, and more.
What’s more, you’ll gain an understanding of how to support positive wellbeing and tackle stigma in the world around you.
Mental Health First Aid does not stop with a single course. It is an ongoing journey of learning, experiences, and understanding.
Course description
Mental Health First Aiders play a vital role in creating supportive workplaces and communities. They are trained to recognise signs of mental ill health, provide initial support, and maintain confidentiality.
By promoting wellbeing, reducing stigma, and working alongside mental health professionals, Mental Health First Aiders help foster a more inclusive and supportive environment. They also gain an understanding of relevant legislation, learn how to respond to crisis situations, signpost individuals to professional help.
Through active listening and creating a safe space for open conversations, Mental Health First Aiders contribute to a healthier and more resilient community.
Course outcomes
As an MHFAider you will be able to:- Recognise those that may be experiencing poor mental health and provide them with first-level support and early intervention
- Encourage a person to identify and access sources of professional help and other supports
- Practise active listening and empathy
- Have a conversation with improved mental health literacy around language and stigma
- Discuss the MHFAider role in depth, including boundaries and confidentiality
- Practise self-care
- Know how to access a dedicated text service provided by Shout and ongoing learning opportunities with MHFA England
Format
- Online or face-to-face course structured across four sessions. Each session is a maximum of 3hrs 45mins (am and pm)
- Learners will be trained over four live sessions with an MHFA England Instructor Member, covering 14 hours of content in total.
- Learning takes place through a mix of instructor led training, group discussions, individual and group activities.
- Each session builds on the previous, enabling the learner to gain confidence in supporting others with a Mental Health First Aid action plan.
- We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that instructors can keep people safe and supported while they learn.
- We strive for all of our learning content to be as accessible and inclusive as possible.
If you require accredited MHFA certificates, you may enrol for assessment of learning, upon completion of the course. This is a multiple-choice assessment, which you must achieve a minimum of 30/40 to pass. There is a charge of £99+vat payable directly to MHFA. This is optional if you require the accredited certification.