MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSE – MHFAIDER® TRAINING
The mental health first aid training qualifies you as mental health first aider. It’s 16 hours course which can be taken online or face to face. If you choose the online mental health first aid option you will attend 16 hours live sessions with one of our instructors.
We run face to face mental health first aid training in London on Mondays-Tuesdays (09:30 am – 5:00 pm) in our Old Street venue and Thursdays-Fridays (09:30 am – 5:00 pm) in our London Bridge venue.
MHFAiders® gain the knowledge and skills to spot the signs of a person experiencing poor mental health, the confidence to start a conversation and the tools to signpost to appropriate support.
MHFA England’s training is grounded in research. It has been developed through an inclusive lens, with input from people with lived experience and in collaboration with clinical practitioners, learners, and workplaces.
The MHFA training is proven to increase MHFAiders® confidence in supporting people with mental ill health.
With confidence, community and access to exclusive resources and events, MHFAiders® will feel empowered to provide support where it’s needed and begin to help shape a healthier workplace with a thriving culture.
Mental Health First Aid is not unlike physical first aid: help offered for someone suffering from ill health, in this case mental ill health. MHFA courses will also teach you to spot earlier signs and symptoms of common mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, etc. With the knowledge and tools learned in the course, individuals will be able to to deliver mental health first aid before professional medical treatment is available. The aims of mental health first aid are to:
- Preserve life
- Prevent further harm
- Promote recovery
- Provide comfort to the person who suffers
Please note that as a qualified Mental Health First Aider, or someone who has undertaken a Mental Health First Aid course, you will not be able to diagnose or treat, but you can identify symptoms of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, amongst other challenges, and encourage someone to seek professional help. These courses do not teach you to be a counsellor or therapist but will empower you to react and signpost when someone in mental distress may need professional help.
On this course you will increase your knowledge around a variety of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. You will learn some practical tools for supporting friends, family and co-workers. As a mental health first aider you will feel confident as a first responder in crisis situations and know how to guide someone towards appropriate support. You will receive a certificate on completion which does not have an expiry date. MHFA England recommend that you attend a refresher course every two – three years to keep your knowledge and skills up to date.