Mental Health First Aid
In the UK, Poor mental health costs employers up to £45 billion each year. When staff are experiencing poor mental health, the negative impact it has on their life and work is substantial. Looking after your staff’s well-being is ethically the right thing to do.
Why should your organisation invest in Mental Health First Aiders:
- Improve the well-being services offered to the team
- Provide additional support to the HR function
- Reduce the stigma of mental health and encourage people to talk about mental health
- Support staff who were experiencing poor mental health
- Reduce staff absence and accurately report the reason for absence
Mental Health First Aid (MHFAider®)
Develop practical skills to spot the signs of mental health issues and support the person in distress.
Overview
Mental Health First Aid (MHFAider®) is an internationally recognised training course which teaches people how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and provide help on a first aid basis. We don’t teach people to be therapists, but we do teach people how to respond in a crisis, and how to reach out before a crisis happens. The training gives people tools to support themselves and each other, so everyone can talk about mental health and seek help when needed.
This programme will help to:
● Reduces stigma around mental ill health
● Gives you increased confidence to have a supportive conversation about mental health
● Promotes equity and understanding around mental health from different perspectives
● Helps to build supportive communities and promotes open conversations about mental health
● Encourages self-care, giving you the tools to look after your own and others’ mental health
● Promotes early intervention and recovery, which can prevent an individual’s mental health from deteriorating
Workshop objectives
As an MHFAider ® you will be able to:
● Recognise those who may be experiencing poor mental health and provide them with first-level support and early intervention
● Encourage a person to identify and access sources of professional help and other supports
● Practise active listening and empathy
● Have a conversation with improved mental health literacy around language and stigma. Understand the role, including boundaries and confidentiality
● Practise self-care
This course is ideal for those who would like to become an MHFAider® to:
● Gain the knowledge and skills to spot signs of people experiencing poor mental health
● Be confident starting a conversation and signpost a person to appropriate support
● Alongside the best evidence-based Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, MHFAiders ® are also provided with three-year access to ongoing learning and support through the MHFAider Support App ®. The app gives you 24/7 digital support, access to exclusive resources, ongoing learning opportunities, and the benefit of joining England’s largest community of trained MHFAiders ®.
Who should attend?
This course is ideal for anyone aged 16+ who would like to become an MHFAider® to gain the knowledge and skills to spot signs of people experiencing poor mental health, be confident to start a conversation and signpost a person to appropriate support. No previous knowledge of poor mental health is required.
Course format
A very practical, interactive programme for a maximum group size of 16.
The course is structured as four sessions for both online and in-person delivery. These can either be delivered over two days back to back or spread over two weeks to meet your organisational needs.
Workshop outline
Session 1. (3 hours 30 mins)
● MHFA and the MHFAider ® role
● Introduction to the MHFAider ® Action Plan ‘ALGEE’
● What is Mental Health?
● Helpful and unhelpful language
● Undersign our Frame of Reference, understanding how we make sense of the world
● Understanding stress & the Stress Container.
Session 2. (4 hours)
● What influences mental health?
● The Mental Health Continum
● What is Anxiety?
● What is a traumatic event?
● Active listening and empathy
● What are Eating Disorders?
● What is self-harm & substance misuse?
● MHFA conversation practice
Session 3. (4 hours)
● Applying ALGEE
● What is depression?
● What is suicide?
● What is psychosis?
● MHFA conversation practice
Session 4. (3 hours)
● Recovery and lived experience
● Applying ALGEE
● Boundaries in the MHFAider ® role
● MHFA conversation practice
● Moving forward in the MHFAider ® role and your MHFA action plan
● Self-care
Special features
MHFA training doesn’t stop when the course comes to an end. MHFA England offers continuous support for MHFAiders ®, well beyond your initial certification, to ensure you can lead impactful MHFA interventions.
As an MHFAider ® you will get automatic 24/7 digital support through the MHFAider Support App ®. From there, you’ll find exclusive resources, and ongoing learning opportunities to grow your confidence and gain the benefit of joining England’s largest community of trained MHFAiders ®.
This support will give you an opportunity to:
–Keep your learning alive
–Quickly reference something
–Connect you with a group of people improving the mental health of the nation
The app empowers you as MHFAider® with the following features:
The app empowers you as MHFAider ® with the following features:
● Secure conversation logging for you to make reflective notes to record and reflect while protecting confidentiality
● *Reminders for wellbeing check-ins with people you are supporting
● 24/7 text support service through Shout, for advice and reassurance on a Mental Health First Aid conversation or to support your own well-being after a difficult conversation
● Resource library of toolkits, guidance, animations and core mental health concepts to support you in your role as MHFAider ® and a signposting database through Hub of Hope to find local and national mental health services for additional support
Upon completion, you will receive a certificate & three years of app-based support.
Cost per learner: £325 per person. If you have a cohort of 8+ please email wendy@garrettlearning.co.uk to arrange a corporate rate.
