Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid is the help provided to a person who is developing a mental health problem, experiencing a worsening of a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until the appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves.

Participants will learn the signs and symptoms of mental health problems, where and how to get help and what sort of help has been shown by research to be effective. The course introduces participants topics including developing mental health problems, depression, anxiety problems, psychosis and substance use problems, as well as suicide and other mental health crises.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course is based on the international MHFA Guidelines. Evaluations have consistently shown that MHFA training is associated with improved knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, knowledge of appropriate first aid strategies, and confidence in providing first aid to individuals with mental illness. Studies have also shown improved mental health in those who attend the training, decreases in stigmatising attitudes and increases in the amount and type of support provided to others.

Individuals from a range of health and community services and related professions can gain CPD Points by attending a Mental Health First Aid Course.Mental health first aid strategies are taught in evidence-based training courses  and Mental Health First Aid is listed on the Centre for Global Mental Health and the World Health Organisation’s Mental Health Innovation Network as well as SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidenced-based Programs (NREPP). After completing the course  participants are eligible to become an accredited Mental Health First Aider.

TMF Training Solutions delivers MHFA courses authored by Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Australia , with experienced MHFA Principal Master Instructors who are currently accredited by MHFA Australia.

Download “MHFA-Flyer_TMF-Training-Solutions.pdf” MHFA-Flyer_TMF-Training-Solutions.pdf – 147 KB

The table below outlines the content of each session within the MHFA 12 hour course which can be delivered as either:

✓ A 2-day program (6 hrs per day)
OR
✓ As 3 separate 4 hour training sessions

SESSION ONE Mental illnesses Risk factors, prevalence and impact Spectrum of interventions Recovery  Mental Health First Aid Why MHFA? The MHFA Action Plan      Depression Signs and symptoms Interventions	SESSION THREE  The MHFA Action Plan for anxiety problems Crisis first aid for panic attacks Crisis first aid after a traumatic event MHFA actions when there is no crisis  Psychosis Signs and symptoms Interventions
SESSION TWO The MHFA Action Plan for depression Crisis first aid for suicidal thoughts and behaviours (Crisis first aid for non-suicidal self-injury) MHFA actions when there is no crisis        Anxiety problems Signs and symptoms Interventions	SESSION FOUR The MHFA Action Plan for psychosis Crisis first aid for severe psychotic states MHFA actions when there is no crisis        Substance use problems Signs, symptoms and interventions  The MHFA Action Plan for substance use problems Crisis first aid for severe effects of substance use Crisis first aid for aggressive behaviour MHFA actions when there is no crisis