Summary
Become a fully certified Mental Health First Aider. Learn how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill-health in yourself and others and provide help on a first aid basis, even in a crisis situation.
This 2-day course will give you and your team a thorough understanding of mental health. Meaning that you can fully empower yourself and support others in lowering stress, improving resilience and well-being, and enjoying a more fulfilling and happier life.
Mental ill health is the single largest cause of disability in the UK, contributing up to 22.8% of the total burden, compared to 15.9% for cancer and 16.2% for cardiovascular disease. No health without mental health – Gov.UK
Internationally recognised Mental Health First Aid (MHFA England) teaches individuals the skills necessary to have an open and non-judgmental conversation, recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues and effectively guide a person towards the right support. Be that within the workplace, signposting professional help, with support from family or a combination. It won't teach you to be a counsellor or therapist, but it will teach you how to listen, reassure and respond.
Delivered by trainers who have completed the rigorous MHFA England Instructor Training program, accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health, this course is comprises of a mix of individual online learning and four tutor-led live virtual classrooms.
We also briefly touch on substance misuse and its impact on people's mental health as well as useful statistics that shows the prevalence of mental health issues in Great Britain and globally. Various activities are built into the individual learning and live sessions such as group discussions, quizzes, reflective activities, case studies and videos. These help bring the subject to life and support delegates in gaining the correct context, providing an accurate level of education and absorbing the information presented so that it can be practically applied.
Certification
Everyone that completes the course will become a qualified Mental Health First Aider and earn a certificate from Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA).
Free mental health first aid resources
All delegates will receive:
- a mental health first aid manual containing a wealth of information
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a workbook including a helpful toolkit to support your own mental health
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a quick reference card for the Mental Health First Aid action plan
Delivery format
This course will be delivered by an accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructor as four virtual classrooms (VC) over two days. Individual learning (based on a combination of videos, workbook activities, quizzes and reading) is also required but can be done at you own pace in advance of the VCs.
VC 1 (2 h)
- What is Mental Health First Aid?
- Introduction to mental health
- Understanding stigma and labelling
- Communication toolbox: how to have frank, non-judgemental and supportive conversations
- Listening: the key to building trust and providing assistance for those that need it most
VC 2 (2 h 30 min)
- Depression: how it manifests itself, impact and strategies to support yourself and others
VC 3 (2 hr 30 mins)
- Anxiety, eating disorders and self-harm: understand some of the possible causes and how to signpost professional help
VC 4 (2 h)
- Psychosis and other forms of mental ill-health: recognise the signs and enable open lines of communication
- Recovery and building resources: creating a ‘mental health toolbox’ to guide yourself and others towards a more balanced, happier, healthier state
Who should attend?
Members and non-members of the Institution, L&D and HR departments, health and safety, operations and customer service. Anyone who works ‘front line’ with customers, who has felt the impact of the recent pandemic or is going through change in some form and would like to be better equipped to handle it. This program can be delivered directly to organisations.
How will I benefit?
After attending this course you will have:
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An in depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
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Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
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Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
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Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
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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
You will also become a qualified Mental Health First Aider and earn a certificate from MHFA England.