Public Mental Health First Aid

Description

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 use the MHFAider Support App® 
• Know how to access a dedicated text service provided by Shout and ongoing learning opportunities with MHFA England  

Format  

• 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. 

Takeaways 

Everyone who completes this course gets: 

• A hard copy workbook to support their learning throughout the course 
• A digital manual to refer to whenever they need it after completing the course 
• A wallet-sized reference card with the Mental Health First Aid action plan 
• A digital MHFAider® certificate  
• Access to the MHFAider Support App® for three years 
• Access to ongoing learning opportunities, resources and exclusive events  
• The opportunity to be part of the largest MHFAider® community in England 

Becoming a qualified MHFAider®

Once you complete the Mental Health First Aid course, you can test your knowledge and build your confidence in your role as an MHFAider® with the internationally recognised MHFAider® qualification, RSPH Level 3 Award in Mental Health First Aid.

Course Structure

Session 1:

• Mental Health First Aid and the action plan 
• The MHFAider® role and self-care 
• Helpful and unhelpful language  
• Useful models to support the role  

• What influences mental health?  
• What is anxiety?  
• Crisis first aid 
• Active listening and empathy  
• What are eating disorders?  
• What is self-harm?  
• What is substance misuse?  

• Applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan 
• What is depression?  
• What is suicide?  
• Crisis first aid continued 
• What is psychosis?  

• Recovery and lived experience  
• Boundaries in the MHFAider® role 
• Moving forward in the MHFAider® role  
• My MHFA action plan