Mental Health First Aid

Train as a Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®) and receive three years of certification, plus access to ongoing benefits.

  • This course is ideal for individuals who would like to become an MHFAider® to gain the knowledge and skills to spot signs of people experiencing poor mental health, be confident to start a conversation and signpost a person to appropriate support.
  • In addition to the course, you will become part of the largest MHFAider® community in England, gaining access to resources, ongoing learning and 24/7 digital support through our MHFAider Support App®, to give you the tools and knowledge you need to carry out the role effectively and confidently, whether that be in your workplace, a volunteer role, or in the community.

Course outcomes

As an MHFAider® you will be able to:

  •  Recognise those that may be experiencing poor mental health and provide them with first-level support and early intervention
  • Encourage a person to identify and access sources of professional help and other supports
  • Practise active listening and empathy
  • Have a conversation with improved mental health literacy around language and stigma
  • Discuss the MHFAider® role in depth, including boundaries and confidentiality
  • Practise self-care
  • Know how to use the MHFAider Support App®
  • Know how to access a dedicated text service provided by Shout and ongoing learning opportunities with MHFA England

Format

12th Man can deliver this course flexibly, with minimum pressure on your business or operations.

  • Online or face-to-face course structured across four flexible sessions. Each session is a maximum of 3hrs 45mins and sessions can be delivered within a two week period.
  • Learners will be trained over four live sessions with an MHFA England Instructor Member, covering 14 hours of content in total.
  • Learning takes place through a mix of instructor led training, group discussions, individual and group activities.
  • Each session builds on the previous, enabling the learner to gain confidence in supporting others with a Mental Health First Aid action plan.
  • We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that instructors can keep people safe and supported while they learn.
  • We strive for all of our learning content to be as accessible and inclusive as possible.

Resources

Everyone who completes the course gets:

  • A hard copy workbook to support their learning throughout the course
  • A digital manual to refer to whenever they need it after completing the course
  • A wallet-sized reference card with the Mental Health First Aid action plan
  • A digital MHFAider® certificate
  • Access to the MHFAider Support App® for three years
  • Access to ongoing learning opportunities, resources and exclusive events 
  • The opportunity to be part of the largest MHFAider® community in England

Becoming a qualified MHFAider®

Once you complete the Mental Health First Aid course you can:

  • Access the MHFA England app
  • Test your knowledge and build your confidence in your role as an MHFAider® with the internationally recognised MHFAider® qualification, RSPH Level 3 Award in Mental Health First Aid
  • Join the Association of Mental Health First Aiders

Course Structure

The course is delivered in four sessions.

  • Session 1:
  • Mental Health First Aid and the action plan
  • The MHFAider® role and self-care
  • Helpful and unhelpful language 
  • Useful models to support the role
  • Session 2:
  • What influences mental health? 
  • What is anxiety? 
  • Crisis first aid
  • Active listening and empathy 
  • What are eating disorders? 
  • What is self-harm? 
  • What is substance misuse? 
  • Session 3:
  • Applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan
  • What is depression? 
  • What is suicide? 
  • Crisis first aid continued
  • What is psychosis? 
  • Session 4:
  • Recovery and lived experience 
  • Boundaries in the MHFAider® role
  • Moving forward in the MHFAider® role 
  • My MHFA action plan