Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) offer a range of evidence-based face to face and online training courses. Provide different levels of mental health first aid training which include suicide first aid. Also provide tutor training as detailed below.

Mental Health Aware & Mental Health First Aid

This course will teach you practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues.

• Recognise signs of suicidality
• Understand reasons behind thoughts of suicide
• Engaging a person in crisis empathically
• Offer emotional support
• Recognise potential barriers to seeking help
• Signpost to appropriate resources (helplines)

MHFA Champion 

• Recognise signs of suicidality
• Understand reasons behind thoughts of suicide
• Engaging a person in crisis empathically
• Offer emotional support
• Recognise potential barriers to seeking help
• Signpost to appropriate resources (helplines)
• Key facts and figures of suicide nationally and internationally 
• Ways to communicate key messages to the public
• Ways to engage and encourage change and prevention

MHFA Refresher

This training is for Mental Health First Aiders and Champions to refresh their skills every three years.

Suicide First Aid Associate Tutor Training

• Evidence-based programme developed and delivered by experienced suicide prevention educators. Delivered in partnership with the National Centre for Suicide Prevention Education & Training.
• Enables individuals to deliver two courses - Suicide First Aid through Understanding Suicide Interventions (SFAUSI) and Suicide First Aid Lite

For more information about the training courses, visit the MHFA website.

• Mental Health Aware – ½ day course
• MHFA Champion – 1 day course
• Mental Health First Aid – 2 day course
• Suicide First Aid Associate Tutor Training - 5 day course

References

• Narayanasamy, M., Geraghty, J., Coole, C., Nouri, F., Thomson, L., Callaghan, P., Drummond, A. (2018). Mental health first aid in the workplace (MENTOR): A feasibility study. IOSH.
• Fessey, V., James, G., Pengelly, T. (2016). Mental Health First Aid: Equipping the nurses of the future. British Journal of Nursing.
• Moffitt, J., Bostock, J., Cave, A. (2014). Promoting well-being and reducing stigma about mental health in the fire service. Journal of Public Mental Health.
• Patterson, P., Pearson, L. (2013). Mental Health First Aid England: Is improving the mental health literacy of the population contributing to a public health priority? University of Birmingham and Coventry University, Presented at Public Health England annual conference.
• Borrill, J. (2011). Mental Health First Aid England and North East Mental Health Development Unit Partnership Project, University of Westminster.
• Brett-Jones, J. (2010). NHS Camden Mental Health First Aid Programme Review.
• Robson, J. (2010). Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid Training with Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service.

• 88% of people who took the training offered help or advice to a person with mental health issues following the course.
• In a 6 month follow-up, 50% of participants felt the course had a moderate or substantial positive impact on their own mental health
• Suicide First Aid Associate Tutor Training was independently evaluated by the SFAUSI and found that it significantly increases confidence and reduces anxiety in dealing with suicide.

• Public Health England 
• NHS England

N/A

• To download programme information for the suicide first aid training, visit the MHFA programme.