Mental Health First Aid

Mental Heath First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognised training course which teaches people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and provide help on a first aid basis.

We all know that wellbeing is good for business and that healthy people are happier, more engaged and more productive.

Practical mental health skills and awareness training is a key component for creating a safe, healthy workplace where the mental health and physical health of employees are valued equally. It gives people the tools to support their own mental health and that of their colleagues and encourages them to access timely support when needed.

But training is just one part of the puzzle. To be effective and have a sustainable impact, training needs to be implemented as part of a strategic whole organisation approach to wellbeing. That’s why, as well as providing practical skills, we can help you develop and enhance your wellbeing strategy, to help your employees thrive.

If you are reading this you are already thinking about how to improve the mental health of your organisation. We are here to support you on the journey. Healthy people are happier, more engaged and more productive.

Our training and consultancy is here to support you to manage wellbeing proactively and minimise the impact of mental ill health on work and life. We’ll work alongside you to deliver training that complements and enhances your existing wellbeing strategy, if you have one. If you don’t, we’ll get you started on that journey and guide you along the way.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England training courses teach people to spot the signs of mental health issues, offer initial help and guide a person towards support.We don’t teach people to be therapists, but we do teach people to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially reach out to someone before a crisis happens.

Why choose our training?

Meet the core standards 
Help meet the recommended core standards for a healthy workplace as set out for all employers in the Government’s Thriving at Work report.

Quality assured 
Every MHFA England course is delivered by a qualified instructor who has completed the Instructor Training programmeaccredited by the Royal Society for Public Health. MHFA are the only provider of licensed Mental Health First Aid instructor training in England.

Safe
Our instructors provide a safe, inclusive learning environment and are trained to support people throughout the whole course.

Internationally recognised
You’ll be joining a global community of over 2.6 million people around the world who have trained in MHFA skills. In England, we have trained over 400,000 people.

Community interest
As a community interest company, our profits go back into driving our social mission – to spread mental health skills and awareness.

Evidence based
Our courses are written by experts, grounded in research, and tested by people with lived experience of mental ill health. Research and evaluation shows that MHFA England courses make a lasting difference in people’s knowledge and confidence around mental health

Trainer:

Sophie, your trainer, is the Head of Care & Training for a social care provider. Previously she was a community and then practice Nurse. She became a regional finalist in this year’s Great British Care Awards for the Workforce Development category.

Sophie has attended the five day course run by MHFA England. She has several lived experiences of mental ill health and has worked with colleagues who have also struggled, as a consequence of their own children’s poor mental health.

“So many people struggle with their mental ill health & particularly at work. If people do not recognise it within themselves how are they supposed to access help? I know that if someone had approached me at work it would have made a ginormous difference and I believe I would not have become so ill. This course provides us with the tools to be that first aider. In addition, for me, it helped me to recognise that I was becoming ill again and I was able to address it before it escalated. So if not for others, than do this course for yourself!”

Assessment

There is no formal assessment for this course but delegates must complete all sections of the course.

Certification

On completion of the course, delegates will receive a Mental Health First Aider certificate. Mental Health First Aid England issue certificates and delegates can expect to receive their certificate one month after attending the course.

Replacement certificates can be requested by contacting MHFA England directly on info@mhfaengland.org.

It is recommended that delegates who complete this course should attend a mental health first aid refresher course every 3 years, to keep their skills up-to-date.

Quality mental health training, underpinned by a robust wellbeing strategy, gives people the tools to keep themselves healthy and support each other. It can also help to:

• Build employees’ confidence to have open conversations around mental health and break the stigma
• Encourage people to access support early when needed, for a faster recovery
• Empower people with a long term mental health issue or disability to thrive in work
• Promote a mentally healthy environment, stopping preventable issues and allowing people to thrive and become more productive
• Embed a long term positive culture across the whole organisation, where employees recognise their mental and physical health are supported as equal parts of the whole person