Standard Refresher Mental Health First Aid

This Standard Refresher MHFA course is a 4 hour face-to-face course that allows people who have previously completed a 12 hour ‘Standard Mental Health First Aid’ course to refresh their knowledge and skills. For people who are Accredited MHFAiders, this refresher course offers an opportunity to extend their accreditation for a further 3 years.  You will:

• Gain an understanding of the latest research in the mental health field
• Learn the 3 key actions for helping someone feeling suicidal
• Work through complex mental health first aid interactions
• Practice mental health first aid skills.

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Duration: 14 hours

Overview: The Youth Mental Health First Aid Course is for adults working or living with adolescents (those aged between 12 and 18 years) however, the course can be relevant for those helping people who are a little younger or older. This course is particularly suitable for parents, teachers, sports coaches, and youth workers. Mental health first aid is the help provided to a person who is developing a mental health problem, or who is in a mental health crisis, until appropriate professional treatment is received or the crisis resolves. Mental health first aid strategies are taught in training programs provided by the Mental Health First Aid Australia (MHFA). The Youth MHFA course teaches adults how to assist adolescents who are developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. Participants will learn about adolescent development and the signs and symptoms of the common mental health problems outlined below, where and how to get help and what sort of help has been shown by research to be effective.

Developing mental health problems covered:

• Depression
• Anxiety problems
• Eating disorders
• Psychosis
• Substance use problems

Mental health crises covered:

• Suicidal thoughts and behaviours
• Non-suicidal self-injury
• Panic attacks
• Traumatic events
• Severe psychotic states
• Severe effects from alcohol or other drug use
• Aggressive behaviours

Youth Refresher Mental Health First Aid

This Youth Refresher MHFA course is a 4 hour face-to-face course that allows people who have previously completed a 14 hour ‘Youth Mental Health First Aid’ course to refresh their knowledge and skills. For people who are Accredited MHFAiders, this refresher course offers an opportunity to extend their accreditation for a further 3 years.  You will:

• Gain an understanding of the latest research in the mental health field
• Learn the 3 key actions for helping someone feeling suicidal
• Work through complex mental health first aid interactions
• Practice mental health first aid skills.

 Teen Mental Health First Aid

Duration: This is a 3.5 hour course, delivered across 3 interactive classroom sessions of 75 minutes each. The course has specifically been designed to engage this age group. Course participants receive a copy of the teen MHFA (tMHFA) Manual to keep and a Certificate of Completion.

Overview: The tMHFA is based on a study undertaken to determine the best actions a young person can undertake to support a peer with a mental health problem, using consensus of Australian and Canadian youth mental health consumers and experts. Further info under the ‘Research’ > ‘Course Development’ menu at the MHFA website.

Course Content: In recognition that young people have a preference for sharing problems with peers, the tMHFA Course teaches high school students in years 10-12 how to provide mental health first aid to their friends and to get the help of an adult quickly. Students learn how to:

• Recognise the signs of a mental health problem developing
• Recognise the signs of a mental health crisis, particularly suicide
• Get a responsible and trusted adult to take over as necessary.

The tMHFA course does not focus on specific illnesses, but on the pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviour that show there might be a problem. It does not teach or encourage students to offer each other counselling of any kind, or to try to handle these problems alone. Diagnosis and treatment are the responsibility of properly trained mental health professionals. Rather, students are taught to seek help from a trusted adult who can get their friend this kind of help as soon as possible..

Conversations About Suicide

Duration: 4 hours

Overview: Curriculum content is based on expert consensus guidelines developed with the Delphi method using both professional and consumer experts from English speaking developed countries. Learning outcomes of the course include:

• Understanding accurate information about suicide rates and risk factors in the Australian context.
• Reviewing the first aid guidelines of how to intervene when someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours
• Practicing these skills in a safe environment.

Please note that the MHFA for the Suicidal Person Course is not a postvention course and is not recommended for individuals recently bereaved by suicide. The MHFA for the Suicidal Person Course is not a therapy or a support group and it is important that people undertaking the course are feeling relatively robust when they undertake it. Specific postvention support services can be found at the beyondblue website. Any interested adult can attend. Please note this course is not a therapy or support group, rather it is an education course to learn how to give first aid to someone who is feeling suicidal. The course complements the 12-hour Standard MHFA course, Blended MHFA Courses and the 14-hour Youth MHFA course. Course participants receive a Handbook to keep and receive a digital Certificate of Completion when they submit online feedback.

Conversations About Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Duration: 4 hours

Overview: Curriculum content is based on expert consensus guidelines developed with the Delphi method using both professional and consumer experts from English speaking developed countries. It provides participants with:

• education and information about self-injury,
• practical skills to improve confidence to safely have a conversation someone who is engaging in self-injury,
• practical skills for how to provide mental health first aid to someone who is engaging in self-injury,
• time to practice these skills in a safe environment.

Please note that the MHFA for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury course is not a therapy or support group, rather it is an education course to learn how to provide mental health first aid to someone who is engaging in self-injury. Specific support services can be found at the beyondblue website. Any interested adult can attend.  The course complements the 12-hour Standard MHFA course, Blended MHFA Courses and the 14-hour Youth MHFA course. Course participants receive a Handbook to keep and receive a digital Certificate of Completion when they submit online feedback.