MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) Two Day

Would you know how to help?

We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. Mental ill health can strike at any time and can affect people from all walks of life.

Although things are improving, stigma still exists around mental ill health. As a society, we don’t tend to know how to take care of our mental health like we do our physical health. This means that people may not know how to support a friend, family member or colleague experiencing a mental health issue, or where to go for support with their own mental health.

“A brilliant course that I would highly recommend to others. It has provided me with a greater understanding of mental health conditions and mental wellbeing.”

MHFA Two Day participant

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.

What to expect

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

You will get an MHFA manual to keep and refer to whenever you need it. When you complete the two days you’ll get a certificate to say you are a Mental Health First Aider.

“A brilliant course that I would highly recommend to others. It has provided me with a greater understanding of mental health conditions and mental wellbeing.”

MHFA 2-day participant

Course Content

Our Adult MHFA Two Day course qualifies you as a Mental Health First Aider.

Mental Health First Aiders have:

• An in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
• 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 their employer, the NHS, or a mix

Who is it for?

Participants on MHFA courses come from a wide range of backgrounds. It is suitable for people with lived experience of mental health issues or illness, family members wanting to gain more understanding of what a relative is going through, employers, and people who are likely to come into contact with those at risk of mental health problems, such as police, ambulance staff or community workers.

Grassroots MHFA Two Day course feedback

Below are the average course evaluation scores taken from participants who attended our MHFA Two Day courses in 2017-18.

Overall course rating

• 72% very good
• 28% good
• 0% neither
• 0% poor
• 0% very poor

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