Mental Health First Aid England, the national authority on mental health first aid, are delighted to unveil a groundbreaking initiative poised to ignite a new era of action in mental health. Today, we are launching the Association of Mental Health First Aiders - England’s first and only membership body for MHFAiders.
MHFA England is the only organisation that offers ongoing support to MHFAiders as part of their training. Through the Association of Mental Health First Aiders, members will be empowered to transform how we talk about and support mental health in the workplace and beyond.
Recent statistics paint a stark picture of the mental health challenges facing the country, underscoring the urgent need for effective intervention and support. Suicide rates are
rising and there are 1.9 million people waiting to access mental health services. The cost of poor mental health to individuals, business and state is enormous, with the Centre for Mental Health estimating it cost £110 million in 2022.
The Association will redefine the landscape of workplace mental health support. By creating the largest dedicated community of Mental Health First Aiders, we can support members long after they have completed their course. For the first time, members will have exclusive access to a wide range of resources, from ongoing training and qualifications to events and research, supporting them to fulfil their roles effectively.
Speaking about the launch of the Association of Mental Health First Aiders, Sarah McIntosh, Managing Director of the Association of Mental Health First Aiders said:
“Every day our MHFAiders are having life changing and lifesaving conversations. We need to support them to keep doing so. The Association of Mental Health First Aiders offers a pioneering, human response to the pressing mental health issues we face as a society. Its launch represents a huge step forward in mental health support, one that prioritises prevention, early intervention, and support.”
Hannah Creech, Member Experience Lead at the Association of Mental Health First Aiders said:
“We know from our 16 years of experience of delivering mental health first training at MHFA England, support and connection empowers our Mental Health First Aiders to fulfil their roles with confidence, skill, and care. 92% of our MHFAiders say that the support and benefits provided by MHFA England help them to do this.
“Launching the Association of Mental Health First Aiders represents a bold step in our collective journey towards a mentally healthier nation. The Association is a diverse, equitable, and inclusive space for all. Our members and their impact are at the heart of everything we do.”
Between January and March 2024, we surveyed approximately 1,500 of our MHFAiders. They told us about the profound impact they are having in the workplace and beyond:
- 94% believe they are challenging stigma around mental health
- 91% feel they are transforming the way society talks about and supports mental health
- 91% believe that MHFAiders save lives, affirming the critical importance of their interventions
- 54% use the skills they have learnt more than once a week
- 29% use their skills at least once a month
With over 300,000 MHFA England trained MHFAiders trained in England over the last three years, this equates to thousands of supportive mental health conversations taking place each day.
Learn more about how MHFA England training can support your workplace wellbeing
Sophie Bradfield, a trained MHFAider and policy officer for her local council, shared her experience of using her MHFA skills:
“With the training that my colleagues and I have had, we know how to spot the signs of poor mental health, provide support, listen without judgement and signpost to professional help.
“I’ve used my training to support many people including someone who we now know was experiencing a psychotic episode. One of the things that stuck in my mind from the MHFA training was not to challenge someone’s delusions or go along with them but acknowledge their feelings showing empathy and kindness. A person experiencing a psychotic episode can behave in ways totally out of character which can be distressing particularly to those that know them. It's important to remember that they’re not experiencing the same reality as you and what they are going through is very scary for them too. Kindness, calmness, and empathy are so important.
“We managed to de-escalate the situation and I’m pleased to say the person was given the professional help that they needed. They were in a very volatile state, and I fear had I not been there as a MHFAider, the situation would have gotten out of control. Not because the other people present were unkind or unfeeling, but because they didn’t know the signs that someone might be mentally unwell or how to speak to someone experiencing what I recognised as psychosis.”
Samantha Stapley, Chief Operating and People Officer at the Trussell Trust, said:
“We know that 52% of people referred to a foodbank in the Trussell Trust network with a disability have a mental health condition and that one in four people has not had contact with any friends or family members in the last month. This means that every day, staff and volunteers across the Trussell Trust network are meeting people who are isolated and facing crisis.
“It is vital that the people who come to us for help can be supported by people who are able to provide them with the mental health first aid that they may need. This is why the training of staff at the Trussell Trust and in food banks across the UK has been crucial for our work. It allows us to provide an enhanced service to the people who need to access a food bank.
“The training received has equipped staff and volunteers within the Trussell Trust network with the tools to have the life changing conversations needed to ensure that people visiting food banks don’t feel alone in their struggles. We look forward to increasing our Mental Health First Aider capacity in the coming years.”
Over the coming months, MHFAiders who have completed the MHFA course, or the MHFA Refresher, in the last three years will be invited to join the Association via a welcome email.
New MHFA Refresher course
As part of the launch of the Association of Mental Health First Aiders, MHFA England has also redeveloped its MHFA Refresher course which launches today. The new course has been updated with the latest mental health statistics and guidance.
MHFA England recommend that MHFAiders take the MHFA Refresher course every three years to ensure their mental health knowledge, awareness, and skills are up to date. MHFAiders will now need to take the MHFA Refresher course, or repeat the MHFA course, every three years to renew their membership of the Association of Mental Health First Aiders and continue to access their benefits.
For more information on the Association of Mental Health First Aiders