Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a training course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.
MHFA 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.
OVERVIEW
Our Adult MHFA Two Day course qualifies you as a Mental Health First Aid.
Mental Health First Aiders have:
- An in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
- Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
- Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
- Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
- Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support – whether that’s self-help resources, through their employer, the NHS, or a mix
Over the two days you will cover:
Session 1
- Why Mental Health First Aid?
- The Mental Health First Aid action plan
- What is mental health?
- Impact of mental health issues
- Stigma and discrimination
- What is depression?
- Symptoms of depression
- Risk factors for depression
- Depression in the workplace
Session 2
- Suicide figures
- Alcohol, drugs and mental health
- First aid for suicidal crisis
- Non-judgemental listening skills
- First aid for depression
- Treatment and resources for depression
- Self-care
Session 3
- What is an anxiety disorder?
- First aid for anxiety disorders
- Crisis first aid after a traumatic event
- Alcohol, drugs and anxiety disorders
- Treatment and resources for anxiety disorders
- Cognitive distortions and CBT
- Personality disorders
- Eating disorders
- Self-harm
Session 4
- What is psychosis?
- Risk factors for psychosis
- Alcohol, drugs and psychosis
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Warning signs of developing psychosis
- Crisis first aid for acute psychosis
- Treatment and resources for psychosis
- Recovery and building resources
- Action planning for using MHFA
INFORMATION
We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn.
You will get an MHFA manual to keep and refer to whenever you need it. When you complete the two days you’ll get a certificate to say you are a Mental Health First Aider.