Our courses up to 26th March are now suspended due to venues being closed. We do continue to teach bespoke courses… https://t.co/fGZcW4t6lB
The mental health first aid pages on the site are about to be updated.
We are pleased to announce that we will now be delivering these course as accredited Level 2 and 3 RQF endorsed by our awarding body Qualsafe Awards. Full details will appear here shortly.
The importance of raising awareness of mental health issues and encouraging people to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental health is the main focus of this training. The training also encourages participants to consider strategies to help meet the demands of our modern stressful lives and consider how to support resilience, and how to support others.
All of our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses follow the syllabus' of Mental Health First Aid England and are accredited by the them.
We have half day, 1 day and 2 day courses depending on your requirements.
Available Courses
Mental Health First Aider
A level 3 equivalent course accredited by
Mental Health First Aid England
Delegates must be aged 16 or over on the date of the course.
This two day course qualifies you as a Mental Health First Aider, giving you:
- 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
Format
- Two day face to face course across four manageable sessions
- Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities
- Each session is built around a Mental Health First Aid action plan
- We limit numbers to 15 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 Mental Health First Aider
- A manual to refer to whenever you need it
- A quick reference card for the Mental Health First Aid action plan
- A workbook including a helpful toolkit to support your own mental health
Course Structure
Session 1 - Day 1 Morning
- Why Mental Health First Aid?
- The Mental Health First Aid action plan
- What is mental health?
- Impact of mental health issues
- Stigma and discrimination
- What is depression?
- Symptoms of depression
- Risk factors for depression
- Depression in the workplace
Session 2 - Day 1 Afternoon
- Suicide figures
- Alcohol, drugs and mental health
- First aid for suicidal crisis
- Non-judgemental listening skills
- First aid for depression
- Treatment and resources for depression
- Self-care
Session 3 - Day 2 Morning
- What is an anxiety disorder?
- First aid for anxiety disorders
- Crisis first aid after a traumatic event
- Alcohol, drugs and anxiety disorders
- Treatment and resources for anxiety disorders
- Cognitive distortions and CBT
- Personality disorders
- Eating disorders
- Self-harm
Session 4 - Day 2 Afternoon
- What is psychosis?
- Risk factors for psychosis
- Alcohol, drugs and psychosis
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Warning signs of developing psychosis
- Crisis first aid for acute psychosis
- Treatment and resources for psychosis
- Recovery and building resources
- Action planning for using MHFA
Mental Health First Aid Champion
A level 2 equivalent course accredited by
Mental Health First Aid England
Delegates must be aged 16 or over on the date of the course.
This one day course qualifies 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 course
- Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities
- We limit numbers to 15 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 an MHFA Champion
- A manual to refer to whenever you need it
- A quick reference card for the Mental Health First Aid action plan
- A workbook including a helpful toolkit to support your own mental health
Course Structure
Session 1 - Morning
- 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 - Afternoon
- 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
A level 2 equivalent course accredited by
Mental Health First Aid England
Delegates must be aged 16 or over on the date of the course.
This introductory four hour session 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
- Half day face to face course
- 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
Takeaways
Everyone who completes the course gets:
- A certificate of attendance to say you are Mental Health Aware
- A manual to refer to whenever you need it
- A workbook including a helpful toolkit to support your own mental health
Course Structure
- What is mental health?
- Mental Health Continuum
- Factors which affect mental health
- Stigma
- Stress and stress management
- Spotting signs of distress
- Mental health conditions:
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Psychosis
- Eating disorders
- Suicide
- Self-harm
- Recovery
- Take 10 Together - starting a supportive conversation
- Supporting mental health in the workplace
- Useful statistics
- Helpful resources
Our Trainer - Gay James
I have been a MHFA England instructor since 2014, delivering courses for health care students at Coventry University and for health care staff across the Coventry and Warwickshire area.
My professional background is as a Senior Nurse Lecturer, originally trained at Westminster Hospital London with 10 year experience in London teaching hospitals.
The last 30 years have been employed initially as Nurse tutor in Coventry, then from 1996 as senior lecturer involved in training Nurses at Coventry University.