Youth Mental Health First Aid

Fill in your details using this form to secure your place. If you don’t know if this is the right course for you or you have any questions, get in touch and we’ll be happy to help. 

Contact your Instructor Member by replying to your booking confirmation email. 

If you aren’t able to get in touch, email info@mhfaengland.org and we’ll be happy to help.

MHFA England® offers a range of training courses, from awareness raising to skills development.  

Through our mental health first aid courses, we take people on a journey to understand what mental health is. We discuss how we all have mental health, like physical health, and we teach people to look after their own and others’ wellbeing. 

Our mental health first aid courses: 

• Encourage people to challenge the language we use around mental health
• Explore our different frames of reference and the stigma attached to mental health
• Help people to understand what positive mental health looks like
• Explore the factors that can have an impact on our mental health
• Look at how to support yourself and others with self-care
• Demonstrate how to approach, reassure, and signpost to further support
• Explain diagnosable mental health conditions, what poor mental health looks like, and how to spot these signs in yourself and others
• Talk about what to do if you think someone has poor mental health and the steps to take for early intervention
• Talk about recovery from mental ill health and looking forward

MHFA England courses are for everyone. Mental health first aid is as important to know as physical first aid. And you don’t need any mental health knowledge or training – just like you don’t need a medical background to take a physical first aid course.

Here are just some of the people who benefit from MHFA England skills: 

• Individuals
• Managers
• HR professionals
• Social care professionals
• Teachers and youth workers
• Parents and foster parents
• First responders
• Medical professionals
• Local authority employees
• People with lived experience of poor mental health 

Yes, our training has been created with the help of clinical experts and those with lived experience. All of our courses are grounded in research. 91% of learners say they have a better understanding of mental health following their MHFA England course. 

You can read about the impact of our training across a range of organisations in our case studies, MHFAider stories, and in our MHFAider report. 

Like physical first aid, your training is valid for three years. We recommend that MHFAiders attend an MHFA Refresher course every three years to renew their skills, update their knowledge of mental health supports, and practice applying the MHFA action plan. You’ll also get another three years of membership to the Association of Mental Health First Aiders with exclusive access to a wide range of resources, from ongoing learning and qualifications to events and research.

Once your Instructor Member has marked the course as complete, learners will get an email asking for feedback. After they’ve left feedback or chosen to opt out, they'll get an email with their certificate attached. Remember to check spam/junk folders. 

If they still haven’t received it, email us at info@mhfaengland.org. Please let us know: 

• The date of the course
• The location of the course
• The name of the course
• The name of your Instructor Member, if you know it 

Of course, just email  info@mhfaengland.org and let us know: 

• The date of the course
• The location of the course
• The name of the course
• The name of your Instructor Member, if you know it
• What needs to be corrected (if applicable) 

Our vision is of a nation where everyone's mental health matters. 

There’s plenty you can do to raise awareness of mental health and MHFA England skills in your community. Take a look at our free toolkits for some resources and materials to get you started. 

You may also like to follow us on social media or sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with what we’re doing. We support mental health campaigns throughout the year including our own My Whole Self campaign, as well as initiatives such as World Mental Health Day, Time to Talk Day and Mental Health Awareness Week, and we’re often looking for members of the MHFA England community to get involved.  

If you’re interested in working for the MHFA England central team, check out our careers page for our latest vacancies. 

As a training organisation, we can’t offer mental health support or advice, but there are lots of organisations that can. 

In an emergency: 

• Call 999
• Go to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) 

 If you or someone else needs medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency: 

• Call 111 followed by option 2 (for mental health) 

This is a free number to call. They can direct you to your local crisis support services and mental health organisations and offer health advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

Samaritans are also there for you if you need to talk. You can call for free 24 hours a day, 365 days a year: 

• 116 123 

If you’re looking for non-emergency advice and guidance, see our list of mental health support contacts.