Description
What is mental health first aid?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) educates you about mental health illnesses and substance use disorders. MHFA training is designed to help you identify risk factors and to look out for specific warning signs of developing mental health concerns or crisis situations. You will develop a deeper understanding of mental illnesses and how to assist someone who may be experiencing a mental disorder or during a crisis situation.
Learning MHFA helps remove the stigma from starting conversations around mental health, especially with those who may initially feel uncomfortable or unsure of how to approach or seek advice about the topic. There are many who have difficulties helping those around them with mental health problems and are often unsure of what they should do. Mental illness incorporates a large range of disorders that can be challenging to identify and help treat without adequate MHFA training as some illnesses may be more severe than others and could last a long time.
Our MHFA course is delivered by our highly acclaimed facilitator, Nick McEwan-Hall, who is nationally accredited by Mental Health First Aid Australia. The training teaches only evidence-based MHFA strategies to help people respond to a wide range of scenarios in the most effective manner possible.
Context about mental health in Australia
Around half of the Australian population that is aged between 16 to 85 years will experience a mental health illness at some stage in their life, which is close to 9 million people. The most common mental illnesses Australians continue to experience include depression, anxiety and substance use disorder, in particular, alcohol consumption.
The mental health crisis in Australia continues to worsen, as people are more likely to die by taking their own life than from skin cancer. Of all the people who are able to seek professional help, around 75% of those engaged in professional mental health services have experienced more long-term positive results, which could be initiated by the first aid of someone with an MHFA certification.
Why is a mental health first aid course important/benefits?
Having the ability to start discussions around mental health can help others greatly and may encourage them to seek professional help as you can provide them with support and point them in the right direction for further assistance.
Understanding the mental health of the people around you is important, as the way others behave can influence how we think and act. By possessing the skills to identify and offer mental health first aid, you can increase someone’s overall wellbeing and performance at home, work or in their studies. 1 in 5 Australians are experiencing a form of mental illness each year. If we look at the people around us,
What will you get out of a mental health first aid course?
Our MHFA course equips you with the knowledge and skillset to provide first aid for mental health issues, with the aid of an evidence-based action plan which will allow you to quickly and efficiently to address mental health problems.
What you’ll learn
- An overview of mental health, and Mental Health First Aid
- Common myths and misunderstandings about mental illness
- The common signs and symptoms of a mental health issue
- How to approach someone about their mental health
- How to assess the severity of the situation
- What to do in a mental health crisis situation
- Practical skills to intervene in real-world mental health situations
- How to encourage someone to get professional help
- A range of options and places to access professional help
Mental Health Issues Covered:
- Depression
- Anxiety problems
- Psychosis
- Substance use problems
Mental health crises covered:
- Suicidal thoughts and behaviours
- Non-suicidal self-injury (self-harm)
- Panic attacks
- Traumatic events
- Severe psychotic states
- Severe effects of alcohol or other drug use
- Aggressive behaviours.
Upon completion of this course, you will walk away with a mental health first aid certification and the necessary skills to initiate and help address onset mental health issues. You can also receive formal accreditation for your knowledge and skills at no additional cost, where we will support you through the accreditation process.
You will learn to identify when mental health first aid is needed, where to direct people to get professional help, how to provide aid during a crisis and the type of assistance needed in a range of situations. The knowledge and skills you will gain from our MHFA course will stay with you for life and will help you create a healthy and happy space for the friends and family you surround yourself with.
Who is the course for?
This course is for anyone aged 18 or above, who is looking to educate themselves in mental health first aid. No prior knowledge about mental illnesses is needed. Anyone can enrol in our course.
How does the course work?
This course is conducted in person with our incredible facilitator, Nick McEwan-Hall who possesses a wide range of experiences in presenting at numerous conferences, workshops and webinars. The MHFA training we provide is an education course about understanding how to provide mental health first aid to others and is not a therapy or support service.
Course structure
Our in-person course can take up to 22 participants in one group and consists of 2 full days of training, 7 hours per day. The program is conducted face to face and can be delivered in the comfort of your own home, or at your organisation anywhere in Australia. We also have public programs you can join too. This course does not require any preparation or work to be done before attending the training in person. You just simply attend the two days of training and we’ll educate you on everything you need to know so that you will be able to offer mental health first aid to those who need it.
You can view the public courses we have available on our web page or contact us to discuss the mental health first aid training style that suits you.
Mental Health First AId Refresher
