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Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

Become an official Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®)

Become an official Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®) with Devon Mind today!

An extremely worthwhile and enlightening experience that I can’t recommend highly enough.
— Mental Health First Aid attendee, 2022

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a comprehensive course which aims to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to identify signs of various mental health problems, and the confidence to help someone experiencing distress. It won’t teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure, and respond to someone experiencing a mental health challenge, even in a crisis — it can potentially even enable you to prevent a crisis.

Devon Mind employs accredited instructors for the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England flagship MHFA course. Sign up to one of our public course dates or enquire about joining as a group, and our experienced staff will train you to become an official Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®) over the course of 2 full days or 4 half days of interactive learning, including a mix of group discussions, activities within small groups, videos, case studies, and more.

Participants on the MHFA course with Devon Mind reported an average

60.3%
increase

in personal confidence of how to support others with a mental health issue.

Based on 283 participants, Jan 2021 to Oct 2023

Participants on the MHFA course with Devon Mind reported an average

66.3%
increase

in knowledge and understanding of how to support others with a mental health issue.

Based on 283 participants, Jan 2021 to Oct 2023

Participants on the MHFA course with Devon Mind provided an average score of

9.59
out of 10

when asked to rate the overall quality of their instructor on the course.

Based on 283 participants, Jan 2021 to Oct 2023

Whether you want to become a MHFAider® for your workplace, for your own professional development, or just so you feel confident in helping others who might be in distress, our accredited MHFA course is perfect for everyone who wants to increase their knowledge of mental health and their confidence in assessing and supporting those with mental health challenges.

Everyone who completes the MHFA course will receive 3 years of certification from MHFA England, plus access to ongoing benefits as part of the growing MHFAider® community. You will gain access to resources, ongoing learning, and 24/7 digital support through the MHFAider Support App®, giving you the tools and knowledge you need to carry out the role effectively and confidently.

Course content:

Here are the topics covered in Mental Health First Aid:

  • MHFA session 1 covers the basics of MHFA and becoming a MHFAider®:

    • Mental Health First Aid and the action plan
    • The MHFAider® role ​and self-care
    • Helpful and unhelpful language
    • Useful models to support the role

    In the 2-day course, this will be delivered in the first half of the first day.

    In the 4-day course, this will be delivered as the first half-day session.

  • MHFA session 2 introduces some common mental health challenges:

    • What influences mental health?
    • What is anxiety?
    • Crisis first aid
    • Active listening and empathy
    • What are eating disorders?
    • What is self-harm?
    • What is substance misuse?

    In the 2-day course, this will be delivered in the second half of the first day.

    In the 4-day course, this will be delivered as the second half-day session.

  • MHFA session 3 delves into how to apply the MHFA plan and crisis first aid:

    • Applying the MHFA action plan
    • What is depression?
    • What is suicide?
    • Crisis first aid continued
    • What is psychosis?

    In the 2-day course, this will be delivered in the first half of the second day.

    In the 4-day course, this will be delivered as the third half-day session.

  • MHFA session 4 recaps what you've learned and addresses the future:

    • Recovery and lived experience
    • Boundaries in the MHFAider® role
    • Moving forwards in the MHFAider® role
    • My MHFA action plan

    In the 2-day course, this will be delivered in the second half of the second day.

    In the 4-day course, this will be delivered as the fourth half-day session.

How to sign up:

Individual or small group (up to 4)?

Larger group (5+) or business?

Upcoming public course dates:

New dates coming soon!

This course was an amazing insight into how to assist those in crisis or who need support, and it’s improved my confidence in dealing with these situations greatly!
— Mental Health First Aid attendee, 2022

Request a bespoke quote

Please complete the form below if you would like to enquire about this training for your business or large group.

Frequently asked questions:

Check out the answers to some common questions below. If you want to ask something else, please contact us.

  • Public dates for Mental Health First Aid are currently priced at £115 per person. However, if you are signing up a group of more than 4 people, please contact us for a bespoke quote and we will provide you with a competitive individual quote to match your requirements.

  • Yes, upon completion of the course you will receive an official Mental Health First Aid England PDF certificate by email.

  • Yes, we always incorporate time for comfort breaks within our training programmes. You will be informed of timings at the start of each session.

  • Anyone aged 18 years or over is welcome to attend Mental Health First Aid.

Interested in this course?

Individual or small group (up to 4):

Larger group (5+) or business: