Mental Health First Aid Courses

The course will:

• Give a deeper understanding of the issues that impact on and relate to people’s mental health

• Teach practical skills that can be used every day, including being able to spot the signs and symptoms of mental health issues and feel confident guiding people towards support. 

In general, the role of a Mental Health First Aider in the workplace is to be a point of contact for an employee who is experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. This interaction could range from having an initial conversation through to supporting the person to get appropriate help. As well as in a crisis, Mental Health First Aiders are valuable in providing early intervention help for someone who may be developing a mental health issue.

This Mental Health First Aid course does not qualify you as a clinician but what it does is provide you with listening skills and resources to signpost people to the appropriate professional help. 

Mental Health First Aiders are trained to:

• Spot the early signs and symptoms of mental ill health

• Start a supportive conversation with a colleague who may be experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress

• Listen to the person non-judgementally

• Assess the risk of suicide or self-harm

• Encourage the person to access appropriate professional support or self-help strategies. This might include encouraging access to internal support systems such as Employee Assistance Programmes or in-house counselling services.

• Escalate to the appropriate emergency services, if necessary

• Maintain confidentiality as appropriate.

• Complete critical incident documents as and when necessary

• Protect themselves while performing their role.