Overview

This course is currently only available online. Please see course listings below for available dates. 

This two day course qualifies you as a Mental Health First Aider, giving you:

  • 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
     

​Cost

We value this course at £300 per person.

Costs may vary depending on location and instructor – contact the instructor for more information by clicking on a course below.


Format

  • This is an online course delivered through the MHFA England Online Learning Hub

  • Learning takes place through four live training sessions, spread across two weeks, with self-learning activities in between. See course structure section below for more detail 

  • Each session is built around a Mental Health First Aid action plan

  • We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn
     

Takeaways

Everyone who completes the course gets:

  • A certificate of attendance to say you are a Mental Health First Aider

  • A manual to refer to whenever you need it

  • A quick reference card for the Mental Health First Aid action plan

  • A workbook including a helpful toolkit to support your own mental health
     

Accessibility

We strive to create courses and resources that everyone can access. When you book onto a course through the MHFA England website, please fill in the ‘Accessibility requirements’ section of the booking form and tell us what you need to access the course venue and materials.

This course is currently only available online.

Visit our accessibility page for more information.

“I feel like I have a good understanding and more knowledge on mental health. Very good training and instructor – I will recommend the course to others.”

Course structure

Session 1

Individual learning (1 hour):
  • Introduction to the Online Mental Health First Aid course and the Online Learning Hub (course overview, safety procedure, attending live sessions, and completing individual learning activities)
  • Activity 1: Why Mental Health First Aid?
  • Activity 2: The Mental Health First Aid action plan
  • Activity 3: What is mental health?
  • Activity 4: Quiz: Impact of mental health
  • Activity 5: Stress Container (completed after live session)
  • Activity 6: Frame of Reference (completed after live session)
     
Live session (1 hour 45 minutes):
  • Introduction to course functions
  • Introduction to the course
  • ALGEE and mental health introduction recap
  • Stigma
  • Risk and protective factors
  • 10 minute break
  • Frame of Reference
  • The Mental Health Continuum
  • Introduction to the Stress Container

Individual learning (2 hours):
  • Activity 7: What is depression?
  • Activity 8: Risk factors for depression
  • Activity 9: Mental Health First Aid for depression
  • Activity 10: Introduction to suicide
     
Live session (2 hours 20 minutes):
  • Recap of individual learning on depression
  • Prevalence of suicide
  • Suicide, substance misuse and dual diagnosis
  • Analyse the impact of suicidal feelings
  • Recap of ALGEE and risk factors for suicide
  • Explain Mental Health First Aid action plan 1 for suicide
  • 10 minute break
  • Explain non-judgemental listening, Empathy video
  • Practice using ALGEE in case study scenarios
  • Review of ALGEE for suicide and depression
  • Self-care

Individual learning (2 hours):
  • Activity 11: What is anxiety?
  • Activity 12: Mental Health First Aid for anxiety
  • Activity 13: What are eating disorders?
  • Activity 14: Mental Health First Aid for eating disorders
  • Activity 15: What is self-harm?
  • Activity 16: Mental Health First Aid for self-harm
  • Activity 17: What are personality disorders?
     
Live session (2 hours):
  • Recap of individual learning on anxiety
  • Recap of the five basic steps of ALGEE for anxiety
  • Explain action 1 for anxiety
  • How to support someone who is having a panic attack
  • Explain crisis first aid
  • Practice action 2: non-judgemental listening
  • 10 minute break
  • Practice applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan for anxiety
  • Explain cognitive behavioural therapy
  • Recap of eating disorders and self-harm
  • Case study for eating disorders and self-harm
  • Review ALGEE for eating disorders and self-harm

Individual learning (2 hours):
  • Activity 18: What are psychosis, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder?
  • Activity 19: Risk factors for psychosis
  • Activity 20: Mental Health First Aid for psychosis
  • Activity 21: Helpful and unhelpful responses
  • Workbook Activity 10: My action plan for using Mental Health First Aid (completed after live session)
     
Live session (1 hour 55 minutes): 
  • Review of individual learning on psychosis
  • Explain the development of symptoms of psychosis
  • Review the five steps of ALGEE for psychosis
  • Group discussion about MHFA Australia psychosis video
  • Case study activity using Mental Health First Aid action plan for psychosis
  • 10 minute break
  • Recovery
  • Explore how to build a mentally healthy workplace
  • Start action plan to use Mental Health First Aid
  • Feedback

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