What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) 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.
MHFA England training won’t teach you to be a therapist, but just like physical first aid, it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond.
Adult MHFA England courses are for everyone aged 16 upwards. Every MHFA England course is delivered by a quality assured Instructor Member who has attended our Instructor Training programme accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health, and is trained to keep people safe and supported while they learn.
Become a Mental Health First Aider
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a training course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.
MHFA won’t teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening.
You’ll learn to recognise warning signs of mental ill health, and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone while keeping yourself safe.
You’ll also learn how to empower someone to access the support they might need for recovery or successful management of symptoms. This could include self-help books or websites, accessing therapy services through their GP, their school or place of work, online self-referral, support groups, and more.
What’s more, you’ll gain an understanding of how to support positive wellbeing and tackle stigma in the world around you.
Book on to our face to face courses via our Eventbrite Calendar, online courses coming soon.
Our qualified mental health first aid instructor has a professional background in mentoring, coaching and training. Always taking the time to ensure accessibility for all, alongside a wealth of experience co-producing mental health services with West Hampshire CCG, as well as strong local signposting for those requiring support.
One of our commitments is to deliver the MHFA qualification to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight STP, ensuring that our NHS staff can access this course too.
We seek out funding to be able to offer subsidised rates for those on a lower income, strengthening our families, communities, workplaces, and more.
Testimonials
MHFA supports us to seek feedback from all delegates at the end of the two day course.
This is to ensure the course, and instructors are meeting the needs of our delegates, but we also take pride in the comments we receive and any feedback is gratefully received.
Our Mental Health Mission
We aim to raise mental health awareness within our communities and to make well-being training more accessible to those particularly from marginalised communities. Sadly it is still common that people are excluded based on their behaviour, needs or finances, creating barriers in accessing mental health education. We believe that education can give us the knowledge and confidence to better prevent and manage our collective Mental Health.
Community Impact Pledge
We believe in social impact, community development and co-production that aims to break down stigma, share lived experience and improve access to mental health education.
If your business or organisation is looking to increase community impact through wellbeing we can help.
We have made a community impact pledge to help us reach our mission.
For every organisation and corporate group that books on to our Mental Health First Aid course, we’ll deliver another course for free to a local community in need (all resources included). Your funds will be directly utilised to educate a group that may not be able to access this training qualification. This may be because of finances, or because they experience or identify as being from an under represented community group.
That means not only are you strengthening the well-being of your organisation and knowledge across your workforce by completing the qualification yourselves, you will also be directly funding others in the community to gain the same qualification, strengthening their communities and their own well-being too.
Book your corporate Mental Health First Aid group with us today, and make a difference to your community.
*minimum group bookings 8 people
Our Values
Choice
Providing choice to our Mental Health First Aiders is important to us. We strive to meet the needs of our delegates, and welcome any requests that may make the completion of the course easier for you. Some topics around mental health can be emotive. We will always provide opt out options prior to any activities that may cause distress.
Signposting
We remain connected to mental health services in the community and continue to network with local organisations, helping us to provide up to date and accurate local signposting that supports timely and appropriate referrals for those experiencing symptoms.
Trauma informed
We are not a support service for people experiencing mental health, however, a trauma informed approach enables us to be aware of how our experiences mould us and how we relate to one another. Our life experiences are valid and our world view activity includes a Signposting add on.
Equality
We recognise that people with protected characteristics might have fewer safe spaces they can be themselves. That’s why we welcome all folk, and we aim to work with organisations that support those whose confidence and resilience may have been affected by their experiences.
