Category: Mental Health First Aid Course

Course outcomes
As an MHFAider® you will be able to:

• Recognise those that 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
• Discuss the MHFAider® role in depth, including boundaries and confidentiality
• Practise self-care
• Know how to use the MHFAider Support App®
• Know how to access a dedicated text service provided by Shout and ongoing learning opportunities with MHFA England

Format
Online or face-to-face course structured across four flexible sessions. Each session is a maximum of 3hrs 45mins and sessions can be delivered within a two-week period.

Learners will be trained over four live sessions with an MHFA England Instructor Member, covering 14 hours of content in total.

Learning takes place through a mix of instructor led training, group discussions, individual and group activities.

Each session builds on the previous, enabling the learner to gain confidence in supporting others with a Mental Health First Aid action plan.

We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that instructors can keep people safe and supported while they learn.

We strive for all of our learning content to be as accessible and inclusive as possible.

Takeaways
Everyone who completes this course gets:
A hard copy workbook to support their learning throughout the course
A digital manual to refer to whenever they need it after completing the course
A wallet-sized reference card with the Mental Health First Aid action plan
A digital MHFAider® certificate
Access to the MHFAider Support App® for three years
Access to ongoing learning opportunities, resources and exclusive events 
The opportunity to be part of the largest MHFAider® community in England

Session 1
• Mental Health First Aid and the action plan
• The MHFAider® role and self-care
• Helpful and unhelpful language 
• Useful models to support the role

Session 2
• What influences mental health? 
• What is anxiety? 
• Crisis first aid
• Active listening and empathy 
• What are eating disorders? 
• What is self-harm? 
• What is substance misuse? 

Session 3
• Applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan
• What is depression? 
• What is suicide? 
• Crisis first aid continued
• What is psychosis? 

Session 4
• Recovery and lived experience 
• Boundaries in the MHFAider® role
• Moving forward in the MHFAider® role 
• My MHFA action plan 

 

This course is available as either an online or face-to-face training session.

This one-day course trains you as an MHFA Champion, giving you:
·       An understanding of common mental health issues 
·       Knowledge and confidence to advocate for mental health awareness
·       Ability to spot signs of mental ill health
·       Skills to support positive wellbeing

 Format: One day face-to-face or Online course

This is a one-day course delivered either face-to-face or via online video conferencing
Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities
We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn
 
Session 1
·       About Mental Health First Aid
·       About mental health and stress in the workplace 
·       Stigma and discrimination
·       Depression
·       Anxiety disorders
·       Other mental health issues (eating disorders, self-harm, psychosis)
·       Early warning signs of mental ill health
·       Alcohol, drugs and mental health
 
Session 2
·       Applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan
·       Action 1: Approach the person, assess and assist with any crisis
·       Suicide
·       Action 2: Listen and communicate non-judgementally
·       Action 3: Give support and information
·       Action 4: Encourage the person to get appropriate professional help
·       Action 5: Encourage other supports
·       Recovery
·       Building a mentally healthy workplace
·       Action planning for using MHFA

This course is available as either an online or face-to-face training session.

This course raises awareness of mental health. It covers:
• What mental health is and how to challenge stigma
• A basic knowledge of some common mental health issues
• An introduction to looking after your own mental health and maintaining wellbeing
• Confidence to support someone in distress or who may be experiencing a mental health issue

Format: One day face-to-face or Online course
This is a half day course (4 hours) delivered either face-to-face or via online video conferencing
Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities
We limit numbers to 25 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn

Four Hour Session
• What is mental health?
• Mental Health Continuum
• Factors which affect mental health
• Stigma
• Stress and stress management
• Spotting signs of distress
• Mental health conditions:
o Depression
o Anxiety disorders
o Psychosis
o Eating disorders
o Suicide
o Self-harm
• Recovery
• Take 10 Together – starting a supportive conversation
• Supporting mental health in the workplace
• Useful statistics
• Helpful resources

Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA®) courses are for everyone who works with, lives with or supports young people aged 8-18. They will teach you the skills and confidence to spot the signs of mental health issues in a young person, offer first aid and guide them towards the support they need. In doing so, you can speed up a young person’s recovery and stop a mental health issue from getting worse.

Our courses won’t teach you to be a therapist, but we will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening.

But more than that, we aim to give you the information and skills to look after your own mental health so that you can set an example for young people. By giving you the tools to have these conversations, we hope to empower you to create a mentally healthy, supportive environment in your family, school, peer group or community.

This online course trains you as a Youth Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®), giving you:

• An in-depth understanding of young people’s mental health and factors that affect wellbeing
• Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
• Confidence to reassure and support a young person in distress
• Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
• Knowledge to help a young person recover their health by guiding them to further support – whether that’s through self-help sites, their place of learning, the NHS, or a mix – engaging with parents, carers and external agencies where appropriate
• Ability to support a young person with a long-term mental health issue or disability to thrive
• Tools to look after your own mental wellbeing ​

Session 1: Introduction

Individual learning (1 hour 15 minutes):

• Introduction to the Online Youth Mental Health First Aid course and the Online Learning Hub
• Activity 1: Why Youth Mental Health First Aid?
• Activity 2: What is ALGEE? 
• Activity 3: What is mental health?
• Activity 4: Mental health and stigma 
• Activity 5: Mental health quiz: Impact of mental health
• Activity 6: Risk and protective factors for mental health 
• Activity 7: The Stress Container 

Live session (2 hours 35 minutes):

Introduction to the course

• Outline of live session 1, the value of Youth Mental Health First Aid
• Introduce ALGEE
• Recap what mental health is
• Recap the Mental Health Continuum
• Stigma
• Recap why Youth Mental Health First Aid is important
• Recap risk and protective factors
• The Stress Container
• The Frame of Reference Session 2:

Session 2: depression, Anxiety and self-care

• Individual learning (1 hour 15 minutes):
• Activity 8: Your Stress Container
• Activity 9: Your Frame of Reference
• Activity 10: What is depression?
• Activity 11: What is anxiety?

Live session (2 hours 10 minutes):

• Introduction to live session 2
• Recap of homework after live session 1
• Recap depression
• Signs and symptoms of depression in a young person
• Recap anxiety
• Signs and symptoms of anxiety in a young person
• ALGEE for depression and anxiety in a young person
• ALGEE for depression and anxiety, action 1
• ALGEE for depression and anxiety, action 2-5
• Self-care and close

Session 3: Suicide and Psychosis

Individual learning (1 hour 20 minutes)

• Activity 12: Adolescent brain development
• Activity 13: About suicide
• Activity 14: Suicide risk factors
• Activity 15: What is psychosis?
• Activity 16: Lived experience of psychosis
• Activity 17: ALGEE for psychosis

Live session (2 hours 5 minutes)

• Introduction to live session 3
• Recap suicide
• Explore the impact of suicidal feelings
• ALGEE for suicidal crisis
• Practice non-judgemental listening skills
• Recap psychosis
• Recap warning signs and symptoms of psychosis
• Recap ALGEE for psychosis

Session 4: Self-harm, recovery and action planning

• Individual learning (1 hour 35 minutes)
• Activity 18: What is self-harm?
• Activity 19: What are eating disorders?
• Activity 20: Resilience
• Workbook activity 7: My action plan for using Youth Mental Health First Aid (completed after live session)

Live session (2 hours 25 minutes)

• Introduction to live session 4
• Recap self-harm, the self-harm continuum
• Warning signs of self-harm in young people
• ALGEE for self-harm
• Recap eating disorders
• ALGEE for eating disorders
• Applying MHFA to family and carers; the Recovery Tree
• Evaluation forms and close

This online course trains you as a Youth Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®), giving you:

• An in-depth understanding of young people’s mental health and factors that affect wellbeing
• Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
• Confidence to reassure and support a young person in distress
• Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening

Knowledge to help a young person recover their health by guiding them to further support – whether that’s through self-help sites, their place of learning, the NHS, or a mix – engaging with parents, carers and external agencies where appropriate
Ability to support a young person with a long-term mental health issue or disability to thrive
Tools to look after your own mental wellbeing

Format
This is an online course delivered through the MHFA England Online Learning Hub
Learning takes place through four live training sessions spread across one to two weeks, with self-learning activities in between. See course structure section below for more detail
Each session is built around a Youth 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 you are a Youth MHFAider®
A Youth MHFAider® manual to refer to whenever you need it
A workbook including some helpful tools to support your own mental health

Live Session 1
Youth Mental Health First Aid and mental health:

• Why Youth Mental Health First Aid?
• The Youth MHFA action plan: ALGEE
• What is mental health?
• The Mental Health Continuum
• Stigma and language
• Risk and protective factors
• The Stress Container
• Frame of Reference

• Live session 2 outline
• Depression and anxiety:
• Recap of depression
• Signs and symptoms of depression
• Recap of anxiety
• Signs and symptoms of anxiety
• The MHFA action plan for depression and anxiety: ALGEE
• Self-care

• Live session 3 outline
• Suicide and psychosis:
• Recap of suicide
• First aid for suicidal crisis
• Recap of psychosis
• Crisis first aid for acute psychosis
• The MHFA action plan for psychosis: ALGEE

• Live session 4 outline
• Self-harm and eating disorders:
• Recap of self-harm
• The MHFA action plan for self-harm: ALGEE
• Recap of eating disorders
• The MHFA action plan for eating disorders: ALGEE
• Recovery

MHFA Youth Course Classroom Info
This two-day course trains you as a Youth Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®), giving you:

• An in-depth understanding of young people’s mental health and factors that affect wellbeing
• Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
• Confidence to reassure and support a young person in distress
• Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
• Knowledge to help a young person recover their health by guiding them to further support – whether that’s through self-help sites, their place of learning, the NHS, or a mix – engaging with parents, carers and external agencies where appropriate
• Ability to support a young person with a long term mental health issue or disability to thrive
• Tools to look after your own mental wellbeing

Format
Two-day face-to-face course delivered across four manageable sessions
Each session is built around a Youth Mental Health First Aid action plan
Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities
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 you are a Youth MHFAider®
A Youth MHFAider® manual to refer to whenever you need it
A workbook including some helpful tools to support your own mental health

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Session 1
Youth Mental Health First Aid
• About Youth Mental Health First Aid
• Context: England’s child health care policy
• About mental health – facts and figures
• Risk factors for mental ill health
• Protective factors for mental health
• Preventing mental health issues and promoting wellbeing
• The Youth MHFA action plan: ALGEE

Session 2
Depression and anxiety
• About depression – facts and figures
• Signs and symptoms
• Risk factors
• About anxiety disorders – facts and figures
• Signs and symptoms
• Risk factors
• The MHFA action plan for depression and anxiety: ALGEE
Session 3
Suicide and psychosis
• About suicide
• Risk factors and warning signs for suicide
• First aid for suicidal crisis
• About psychosis
• Risk factors and warning signs of psychosis
• Types of psychotic disorders
• Crisis first aid for acute psychosis
• The MHFA action plan for psychosis: ALGEE

Session 4
Self-harm and eating disorders
• About self-harm – facts and figures
• Risk factors
• Signs and symptoms
• The MHFA action plan for self-harm: ALGEE
• About eating disorders – facts and figures
• Different types of eating disorders
• The MHFA action plan for eating disorders: ALGEE
• Recovery

This one-day course trains you as a Youth MHFA Champion, giving you:

• An understanding of common mental health issues and how they can affect young people
• Ability to spot signs of mental ill health in young people and guide them to a place of support
• Knowledge and confidence to advocate for mental health awareness
• Skills to support positive wellbeing

Format: One day face-to-face or Online course

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

We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn

Session 1

• Why Youth MHFA One Day?
• What is mental health and mental ill health?
• Stigma and discrimination
• The Mental Health First Aid action plan
• Depression
• Suicide

Session 2

• Anxiety
• Self-harm
• Eating disorders
• Psychosis
• Recovery
• Resilience

This course is available as either an online or face-to-face training session.

This introductory three-hour session raises awareness of young people’s mental health. It covers:

• Some of the common mental health issues affecting young people, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and psychosis
• Skills to work more effectively with young people living with mental health issues
• Ways to support young people with a mental health issue and relate to their experiences

Format: One day face-to-face or Online course

This is a three-hour course delivered either face-to-face or via online video conferencing

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

We limit numbers to 25 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn

Three Hour Session

• Higher or lower activity
• What is mental health?
• Protective and risk factors
• Stigma and discrimination
• Mental Health Continuum
• Protective and risk factors case studies
• Self-harm and suicide
• Signs and symptoms of mental ill health in young people
• Stress Container
• Hand Model of the Brain
• Take Time Together
• Signposting to professional and self-help
• Safeguarding
• Recovery
• Self-awareness and self-care
• Action for Happiness: GREAT DREAM
• Personal pledge
• Wider perspective