Our Online Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training Course qualifies MHFAiders® to confidently identify and support people who are experiencing poor mental health. It is delivered through 4 online sessions via an interactive webinar.

Download your Mental Health First Aid poster to help advertise your Mental Health First Aiders.

To find out more and book this online MHFA training, please contact us here, call 0121 271 0550 or email info@altruistuk.com.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an online mental health awareness course, approved by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). On completion of this online training, candidates are certified as ‘Mental Health First Aiders' (MHFAiders®).

The online MHFA course has recently been enhanced to ensure that participants experience the very best evidence-based course available. All MHFAiders® are also now given two-year access to the dedicated MHFAider Support App®, providing mental health and wellbeing resources and ongoing learning.

Our Online Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course has received excellent reviews from attendees:

• 99% of delegates rated our MHFA instructor as good or very good*
• 96% of delegates highly recommended our Online Mental Health First Aid Training Course**

What is a Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®)?

Similar to a First Aider who is the go-to-person for immediate assistance with physical health or illness, a Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®) is the first port of call for anyone experiencing a mental health issue. They deeply understand mental health and the factors that can affect their colleagues’ wellbeing.

It is important to remember that the Mental Health First Aider (MHFAiders®) course does not teach people to be therapists or counsellors and does not teach people how to diagnose mental health conditions or provide ongoing support.

The Mental Health First Aider (MHFAiders®) role is to act as a point of contact and reassurance for a person who may be experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. They are trained in spotting the triggers and signs of poor mental health. They are also aware of their responsibilities and understand that maintaining appropriate boundaries is a key part of successfully providing Mental Health First Aid and keeping themselves well.

Crucially, MHFAiders® are given the tools to look after their own wellbeing as well as others.

Become a Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®) and support colleagues

This in-depth Mental Health First Aid online course allows MHFAiders® to:

• Recognise colleagues who may be suffering from poor mental health and assist them with first-level support and early intervention
• Encourage colleagues to access established sources of professional help as well as other supports (e.g. their Employee Assistance (EAP) programme, self-help resources or the NHS)
• Practise empathy and active listening
• Have conversations with improved mental health literacy around language and stigma
• Discuss the MHFAider® role in depth, including confidentiality and boundaries
• Practise self-care to look after their own mental health and wellbeing
• Use all of the tools within the MHFAider Support App®
• Access the dedicated text service provided and ongoing learning opportunities

Easy to access online webinar learning

The Mental Health First Aid online course is completed over 4 manageable webinar sessions, spread over one month and delivered via the MHFA England Online Learning Hub (similar to Zoom and Microsoft Teams), as follows:

• Instructor-led live interactive webinar 1 - (3 hours)

• Instructor-led live interactive webinar 2 - (3 hours)

• Instructor-led live interactive webinar 3 - (3 hours)

• Instructor-led live interactive webinar 4 - (3 hours)

Live interactive webinars are facilitated by an expert Altruist Enterprises trainer and involve group discussions, activities, videos, break out rooms, quizzes and Q & A sessions.

We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that our trainer can keep people safe and supported while they learn.

Online Mental Health First Aider Training Content:

Session 1 provides an introduction to mental health and the MHFAider® role. The following topics are covered:

Live Webinar 1

• Mental Health First Aid
• The MHFAider® role
• Self-care
• Activity 1: Self-care bingo
• Introduction to ALGEE
• What is mental health?
• Activity 2: Helpful and unhelpful language
• Frame of Reference
• Activity 3: Window on the world
• Activity 4: Frame of Reference
• The Stress Container
• Activity 5: Found objects
• Activity 6: What's in my Stress Container?
• Film and group discussion - MHFA conversation 1
• Quiz

Live Webinar 2

Session 2 introduces common mental health problems such as anxiety, eating disorders and self-harm. The following topics are covered:

• What influences mental health?
  
• Activity 7: Inequalities in mental health
• The Mental Health Continuum
• Activity 8: Mental Health Continuum case studies
• What is anxiety?
• Activity 9: Signs and symptoms of anxiety
• Crisis first aid for panic attacks
• Film and discussion - MHFA conversation 2
• Crisis first aid after a traumatic event
• Active listening and empathy
• Activity 10: Demonstrate helpful and unhelpful listening actions
• What are eating disorders?
• What is self-harm?
• Crisis first aid for self-harm
• What is substance misuse?
• MHFA conversation practice
• Quiz

Live Webinar 3

Session 3 provides an understanding of depression, suicide awareness and non-judgemental listening. It also covers less common mental health problems such as psychosis. The following topics are covered:

• Applying ALGEE to case studies
• What is depression?
• Activity 11: Design a T-shirt
• What is suicide?
• Crisis first aid for suicide
• What is psychosis?
• Film and discussion – MHFA conversation 3
• First aid for psychosis
• MHFA conversation practice
• Quiz

Live Webinar 4

Session 4 gives delegates the opportunity to practice and refine their MHFAider® skills as well as discuss their responsibilities. The following topics are covered:

• Recovery and lived experience
• Applying ALGEE to case studies
• Film and discussion – MHFA conversation 4
• Boundaries in the MHFAider® role
• Activity 12: case studies
• Quiz
• MHFA conversation practice
• Moving forward in the MHFAider® role
• My MHFA action plan

Completion of the Online Mental Health First Aid Training Course will certify participants as Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAiders®).

Everyone who completes the Online Mental Health First Aid Course will receive:

• A digital certificate to say they are a Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®)
• A digital MHFA manual to refer to whenever they need it
• A hardcopy MHFA workbook
• Access to the MHFAider® support package for two years including the MHFAider Support App®, exclusive content, invitations to online events
• An MHFAider® lanyard and ALGEE action card

Ongoing MHFAider^® support for two years

Certified MHFAiders^® receive automatic 24/7 digital support through the MHFAider Support App^®. They’ll also receive access to ongoing learning to ensure they have the most up-to-date information on mental health and wellbeing.

Other ongoing support benefits include:

• A library of mental health and wellbeing resources
• MHFAider^® online events to provide further learning and support
• Exclusive MHFAider^® content
• Secure conversation logging
• Wellbeing check-in reminders
• 24/7 text support service through Shout
• Signposting database through Hub of Hope

Online MHFA Course Feedback:

'The trainer was able to facilitate openness and shared their personal experiences of mental health. This significantly increased our knowledge and gave us a better, more in depth awareness of the topic. It’s rare that I go on a course and find it interesting, but this training was so excellent!' Ruth McMahon, HR Manager, Jestico + Whiles

Feedback statistics:

• 99% of delegates rated our MHFA instructor as good or very good*
• 96% of delegates would highly recommend our Online Mental Health First Aid Training Course**
• 93% of delegates saw an improvement in knowledge and understanding of mental health following the Online MHFA course
• 91% of delegates saw an improvement in confidence in supporting others experiencing mental ill-health following the Online Mental Health First Aid Training Course

*External evaluation: Sample size of 90 delegates from 10 deliveries of Online Mental Health First Aid Training Course
**Highly recommend = 8,9 or 10 out of 10 rating

Course Pricing:

Prices for the Online Mental Health First Aider start from £232.50 + VAT per delegate (8 - 16 delegates).

Public online courses are priced at £300 + VAT per delegate.

How to Book:

To find out more and book this Online Mental Health First Aid Training Course, please contact us here, call 0121 271 0550 or email info@altruistuk.com.

We also run face to face Mental Health First Aid Training.