Overview

This two day course trains people as Armed Forces Mental Health First Aiders, giving them:

  • An in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that affect wellbeing for the armed forces community

  • 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 the MOD, the NHS, support charities, or a mix

Places on the course are restricted to serving and ex-serving personnel, their family members, and support services who work with the armed forces community.
 

Format
  • Two day face-to-face course across four manageable sessions

  • Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities

  • 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 they are an Armed Forces Mental Health First Aider

  • An Armed Forces MHFA manual to keep and refer to whenever they need it
     

Contact us

Get in touch with our team to discuss your organisation's requirements.

Email the team 
Or call us on 0203 928 0760, option 1.

If you’re looking to book a small number of individual places on a course, you may want to book directly with one of our independent Instructor Members. Find courses running near you
 

Accessibility

We strive to create courses and resources that everyone can access. When you book training through MHFA England, please specify if you will need course materials in accessible formats.

Visit our accessibility page for more information.

“This life saving training is essential if we are really serious about providing the mental health support that the Armed Forces community requires.”

Course structure

  • Why MHFA for the armed forces community?
  • Military culture
  • What is mental health?
  • Stigma and discrimination
  • Mental health issues - violence and the criminal justice system
  • The five steps of Mental Health First Aid
  • Suicide
  • Non-judgemental listening skills
  • Crisis first aid for suicidal behaviour
  • First aid for depression
  • Signs and symptoms of depression
  • Actions for suicidal behaviour and depression
  • Treatment and resources for depression
  • Self-care
  • Vicarious trauma and burnout
  • Self-harm
  • Eating disorders
  • Treatment and resources for self-harm and eating disorders
  • What is psychosis?
  • Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder
  • Symptoms and risk factors for psychosis
  • Crisis first aid for acute psychosis
  • Treatment and resources for psychosis
  • What is anxiety?
  • When is anxiety a problem?
  • Signs and symptoms of anxiety
  • Alcohol, drugs and anxiety disorders
  • The impact of trauma
  • Post traumatic stress disorder
  • Crisis first aid for panic attacks
  • Crisis first aid for acute stress reaction 
  • Recovery
  • Action planning for using MHFA