Online Mental Health First Aid training now available



Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, a social enterprise offering expert workplace mental health guidance and training, has launched a new online version of the flagship Mental Health First Aid course.

From 9 June, people will be able to book to train as a Mental Health First Aider through an entirely online course.

Online Mental Health First Aid will offer the same learning outcomes as the face to face training and every person who completes the course will be certified as a Mental Health First Aider.

Chief Operating Officer, Fionuala Bonnar, commented:

"We are delighted to be able to launch Online Mental Health First Aid. In response to the government guidance around social distancing and working from home, we felt it was crucial to create a Mental Health First Aid course which can be delivered remotely by our Instructor Members.

"This new course ensures we can continue to deliver expert guidance and evidence-based training to help create mentally health workplaces and support the mental health of the nation during this difficult time.

“As we deal with new challenges, creating an unshakable belief that we can all talk freely about mental health and seek support when we need it is more important than ever."

The Online Mental Health First Aid course is a blended approach of individual learning and four instructor-led live sessions, hosted on a new Online Learning Hub.

As a training course, Mental Health First Aid  teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue. The organisation's courses and resources also promote self-care as vital way for people to help protect their mental health and prevent issues from getting worse.

To date, MHFA England has trained over 500,000 people across more than 20,000 organisations in mental health awareness and skills.

Karl Simons, Chief Health, Safety, and Security Officer at Thames Water, said:

"MHFA England’s online courses mean that businesses like ours can still develop and strengthen the mental health support we offer, and continue to raise awareness and reduce stigma.

"At Thames Water we see roughly one mental health intervention every day, and since the start of the pandemic there have been real concerns about people presenting with anxiety.

"Online training can help empower our people to come forward, talk and seek support at their time of need, wherever they are working."

Over the last five years, and as part of Thames Water’s broader strategy, MHFA England training has contributed to a 75% reduction in referrals for stress, anxiety and depression.

The course is the latest in a new online and digital offering from MHFA England. Courses available for remote learning include:
 
For more information on how MFHA England training could benefit your workplace, contact workplace@mhfaengland.org or to book individual courses visit mhfaengland.org/online-mental-health-courses