Mental Health First Aid
BE PART OF
A WORKPLACE REVOLUTION
BECOME A MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDER - OR TRAIN YOUR STAFF
What is Mental Health First Aid?SIMPLY PUT, IT'S
FIRST-AID FOR MENTAL HEALTH
... that's it. This is the mental health version of a physical first aid qualification: an internationally recognised qualification that confirms you (or your staff) are trained in the necessary skills and techniques to spot the signs of poor mental health, handle a conversation with someone who is struggling safely and effectively, signpost them on to appropriate support (including professional) and take care of yourself in the process. It will help you communicate better, empathise more, and care for those around you – and in extreme cases it may help you save a life.
For organisations, training employees as MHFAiders is a key part of building a healthy workplace and ensuring staff, especially managers, are equipped with the confidence and skills to handle distressed people. If you are employer, UK data says that at any time around 50% of your workforce have experienced at least one symptom of burnout, and 15% are experiencing symptoms of poor mental health (source: MHFA England 2022). Investing in healthy workplaces is more than just good practice – it makes pragmatic sense, with Deloitte calculating that every £1 invested in effective wellbeing delivers over £5 in benefits, measured in retained staff, reduced sick days and increased employee engagement and productivity (source: Deloitte 2022).
Obviously, I would say all that. I’m an instructor! But it’s not just me. The MHFA approach – just one part of healthy workplace development but a well-evidenced one - is endorsed by the UK’s Royal Society of Public Health in the UK and recommended by the. Here’s The Guardian newspaper showcasing some of the practical techniques.
I am a qualified instructor with MHFA England, so this is the course I deliver. I teach both the classic version, and one adapted for aid workers. I run open courses whose places can be booked by anyone, but I also do closed in-house courses for organisations (if you have more than 8 people to train then it’s generally better and cheaper to run this way, plus we can tailor content to your needs and you get a full independent evaluation report into the bargain). For more information or to discuss your needs click here to book in an initial chat, or feel free to email me here and we’ll set up a time for me to talk you through the options.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
SEE IF ANY OF THE OPTIONS
BELOW ARE RIGHT FOR YOU...
Work with us
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Anyone! My typical participants are managers wanting to know how to support their staff, and individuals wanting to upskill or support people in their personal life. I’ve had everyone from the international team leads to interns, absolute beginners to qualified therapists, people in their late teens through to pensioners. The course has also just been updated so is full of the latest information and guidance – you can read more here.
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An internationally recognised qualification and certificate
A digital comprehensive manual to support you in putting your theory into practice
Specific guidance on managing mental health issues and affected staff in the workplace
Access to the whole MHFAider workplace wellbeing community
An MHFAider app which connects you to 24/7 support in your role, extra resources and future training opportunities
And most importantly, CONFIDENCE! This is one of the two MHFA course impact indicators (the other is knowledge). You will come away feeling able to handle any situation involving psychological distress, whether in your personal or professional life.
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Key mental health clinical conditions and behaviours including depression, anxiety, self harm, eating disorders, substance misuse
The skills needed to support someone in distress: technical frameworks, active listening skills, handling inclusion and diversity, practical self care techniques
Training in handling real life situations up to and including life threatening crises (eg suicidal crisis)
Mental health advocacy in the workplace
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It’s a 16 hour training in total, delivered via live sessions led by a qualified instructor (ie me!). Most of my sessions are online, so that works out at 4 online sessions of approx. 4 hours each, usually on Zoom. So it doesn’t matter where you are!
You need to attend all sessions to qualify. I can also run sessions in person – these are usually over two days. Whether online or digital we keep course numbers small for maximum benefit – cohorts are a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 16.
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The main MHFA England course is great. But aid workers face specific challenges, and they need a bit more than the standard. My expanded and adapted course for those who work on the frontline and internationally includes additional content tailored to our sector: chronic stress, burnout, PTSD, vicarious trauma and training in delivering support in low resource, remote settings. You’ll also train alongside peers, with colleagues and instructors who know your world and speak your language, so you’ll come out with a whole new peer support network. Here’s me explaining what my MHFA for aid workers is all about, and how it addresses key gaps in the sector, as part of a CHS event in 2021.
My next course for aid workers starts on April 17 and runs for five weeks. Times, dates and booking link:
April 17 1300-1700
April 24 1300-1700 BST
May 1 1300-1700 BST
May 8 1300-1700 BST
May 15 1300-1700 BST
Interested but these dates don't work for you? register your interest by joining my mailing list. Just click here and fill in your details. Sign up and you'll be the first to know when I announce dates, and get £50 discount of the £400 cost per place so it's definitely worth doing.
Got questions, or want to chat further to see if it's for you? No problem. Ping me an email and we'll set up a time to chat.
Also note that I take cohorts from organisations on these course - book more than three places and you'll get an organisational discount (email me for information).
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I run open courses that anyone can sign up for – individuals, or cohorts from organisations. The next one starts April 2026 and the five sessions will run over five Fridays. Dates and booking link:
April 17 1300-1700 BST
April 24 1300-1700 BST
May 1 1300-1700 BST
May 8 1300-1700 BST
May 15 1300-1700 BST
The link to book is here. Interested but these dates don't work for you? Click here to register your interest for future courses. The cost is £400 or £350 (20% discount) if you are on my mailing list and if you need help convincing your organisation to cover this (they should as it's a workplace qualification!) just ask.
Got questions, or want to chat further to see if it's for you? Ping me an email and we'll set up a time to chat.
Also note that I take cohorts from organisations on these course - book more than two places and you'll get an organisational discount (email me for information).
I also run in-house training – if you’ve got more than 8 people to upskill, drop me an email or book in some time for a chat.
Cancellation policy: Places on open courses can be postponed or cancelled up to 7 days before the start. Delegates who cancel within 7 days of the start will be offered a place on another course but are not eligible for refunds. Delegates who cancel within 24 hours are not eligible for a refund or rescheduling outside of exceptional circumstances. Full cancellation and refund is possible only in extenuating circumstances and at the discretion of the trainer. Course places cannot be cancelled or postponed once participants have already begun training.
In house training: the same cancellation policies apply.
