Mental Health First Aid: Youth

Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses are for everyone who works with, lives with or supports young people aged 8-18.

You will gain the skills and confidence to spot the signs of mental health issues in a young person, offer first aid and guide them towards the support they need. In doing so, you can speed up a young person’s recovery and stop a mental health issue from getting worse.

Our courses won't teach you to be a therapist, but we will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis - and even potentially stop a crisis from happening. 

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But more than that, we aim to give you the information and skills to look after your own mental health so that you can set an example for young people. By giving you the tools to have these conversations, we hope to empower you to create a mentally healthy, supportive environment in your family, school, peer group or community.

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This course qualifies you as a Youth Mental Health First Aider, giving you:

• An in-depth understanding of young people’s mental health and factors that affect wellbeing

• Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues 

• Confidence to reassure and support a young person in distress

• Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening 

• Knowledge to help a young person recover their health by guiding them to further support – whether that’s through self-help sites, their place of learning, the NHS, or a mix – engaging with parents, carers and external agencies where appropriate

• Ability to support a young person with a long term mental health issue or disability to thrive

• Tools to look after your own mental wellbeing ​
  
  

This online course is delivered in four half-day sessions.  Blended learning combines instructor-led sessions using Zoom-style video classes with self-led learning.  Participants receive a workbook, 270 page manual and access to an online learning platform. Our participants love this way of learning! 

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Course structure

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Sessions 1 & 2

• Why Mental Health First Aid?

• What is mental health and the impact of mental health issues

• Stigma and discrimination

• The Mental Health First Aid action plan – how to support others

• Depression, anxiety and self-care

Sessions 3 & 4

• Suicide

• Psychosis

• Self-harm

• Eating disorders

• Building reslilence

• Recovery

• Applying ALGEE to family and carers

Having completed the course, all participants become qualified Youth Mental Health First Aiders and receive a certificate of attendance and action plan guide.

  
We also offer this course in the workplace, online and face to face.