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Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England is today launching a new Refresher course, designed to keep anyone who has completed its Mental Health First Aid training up-to-date in their knowledge and skills.
The Refresher course is a key part of MHFA England’s vision to ensure mental health is treated equally to physical health. The course will allow anyone who has successfully completed MHFA England's Two Day or One Day courses to keep their skills up-to-date. It aims to ensure participants keep their awareness of mental health supports current; update their knowledge of mental health and what influences it; and practice applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan.
The course will support and empower current Mental Health First Aiders and MHFA Champions by renewing their skills annually and providing them with fresh confidence to perform their role safely and effectively. This training follows recent guidance issued by MHFA England on the role and implementation of MHFA in the workplace.
Commenting on the launch, Simon Blake OBE, Chief Executive of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England said:
“Mental health training is a crucial pillar of any organisation’s wellbeing strategy and a key driver of continued organisational success. With the introduction of the Refresher course we are bringing Mental Health First Aid in line with typical physical first aid practice, as part of our commitment to delivering equality on mental and physical health.
“Mental health first aid training is one part of how employers can provide better mentally healthy workplaces for all but should not be approached as a tick box exercise. Organisations who choose to invest in refreshing these skills as part of their mental health strategy are signalling their long-term commitment to improving mental health in the workplace.”
Mental health awareness and skills training is one part of the long term action needed to protect and support the mental health of the nation and should form part of a whole systems approach. In the workplace, Mental Health First Aid training is a key part of the wider wellbeing plans all employers must develop to support their people to thrive.
In May this year MHFA England called on all employers to sign the Where’s Your Head At? Workplace Manifesto which sets out four keys ways in which organisations can improve the mental health of their workforce. In just five months over 250 employers have pledged their support. The Refresher course is one way employers who have adopted Mental Health First Aid training, can renew their commitment to treat mental health as equal to physical health.
For more information on the course visit: https://mhfaengland.org/organisations/workplace/refresher/.