Mental Health First Aid Workplace Training

Description

Standard delivery: 6 hours via face-to-face classroom or virtually via Zoom
Blended delivery: 5 - 7 hours of eLearning + 5 hours via face-to-face or virtual classroom

Audience: Anyone, 16 years +

Workplaces play an important role in supporting the mental health of their employees. While it is common for organisations to appoint physical first aid officers, many employers are now seeing the value of training their employees and appointing competent individuals to provide mental health first aid.

With approximately 20% of Australian adults experiencing a common mental illness each year, the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course helps participants to develop the skills to support a friend, family member, client, or colleague until the appropriate professional help is available. Based on guidelines developed through collaboration between mental health professionals and those with lived experience of mental ill health, MHFA training provides participants with:

• skills in recognising the signs and symptoms of mental ill health
• knowledge of possible causes and risk factors contributing to mental ill health
• awareness of evidence-based medical, psychological, and alternative treatments
• skills in providing appropriate support to somebody experiencing mental ill health, and confidence to act if a crisis situation arises (such as suicidal behaviour, panic attack, overdose, or psychosis).

Undertaking MHFA training and assigning skilled MHFA Officers in the workplace is a positive way of demonstrating to employees that their health and wellbeing is of utmost importance to their employer. Providing MHFA training to employees helps to foster a supportive company culture where employees are encouraged to speak openly about mental ill health. This, in turn, contributes to early intervention and supportive strategies, and improves workplace resilience, retention, and productivity as a result.