Overview
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognised training course, designed to teach people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and provide help on a first aid basis.
Due to some of the sensitive subjects of the course students should be aware of that some people can find certain parts of the course difficult, although our instructors help everyone to feel safe and comfortable.
The MHFA standard course is split in four manageable parts. These are:
- Depression and what is mental health.
- Suicide and substance misuse.
- Anxiety disorders, self-harm, eating disorders and personality disorders.
- Psychosis and building a healthy community for all.
Mental Health First Aiders are trained to:
- Spot the early signs and symptoms of mental ill health
- Start a supportive conversation with a colleague who may be experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress
- Listen to the person non-judgementally
- Assess the risk of suicide or self-harm
- Encourage the person to access appropriate professional support or self-help strategies. This might include encouraging access to internal support systems such as EAPs or in-house counselling services
- Escalate to the appropriate emergency services, if necessary
- Maintain confidentiality as appropriate
- Complete critical incident documents as and when necessary
- Protect themselves while performing their role
Aims
- To enable trainees to gain a Mental Health First Aid (England) award in Adult - Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
- Spot the early signs of a possible mental health issue
- Feel confident in how to offer and provide initial help to a person experiencing a mental health issue
- Preserve life where a person may be at risk of harm to themselves or others
- Help to stop mental health from getting worse and to give hope to someone who needs guidance
- Promote recovery of good mental health
- Guide someone towards appropriate treatment and other sources of help
- Understand the stigma that exists around mental health
- Provide help on a first aid basis
Who Should Attend?
This course is for trainees who require Adult Mental Health First Aid. It provides the skills, knowledge and understanding of first aid for mental health and how to effectively support those experiencing distress.This course aims to empower both individuals in the work place and communities to understand the signs and symptoms of mental health issues and how best to support themselves and those around them in recovery.
Assessment
Trainees must attend all training sessions and are assessed throughout.
Certification
Adult Mental Health First Aider (with the certificate issued by Mental Health First Aid (England).
Delegate Eligibility / Entry Requirements
It is important that all delegates have a good understanding of spoken and written English.
