Mental Health First Aid

This 12-hour course teaches skills for providing initial help to a person who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.

Did you know that 1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental health problem in any given year?

That means that all of us are likely to know someone who is experiencing a mental health problem, whether that is a family member, a friend or colleague. This makes mental health everybody’s business and demonstrates the need for community care models that empower individuals where they live, work and play.

Understanding how to talk about mental health and having the confidence and knowledge to help someone in need are important skills that any person in the community can learn. Having more mental health literacy and support skills in the community can help more and more Australians experiencing mental health problems and troubled times.

What is the MHFAider Accreditation Program?

A Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider) is a person who has completed a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course delivered by an accredited MHFA Instructor. As an MHFAider you have the opportunity to complete an online Accreditation Assessment in order to become an accredited MHFAider for 3 years.*

What does it mean to be 'accredited'?

To be an 'accredited' MHFAider means a MHFA course participant who passes the Accreditation Assessment is accredited against these guidelines. It is similar to the way National First Aid Standards (which are used to develop and update Red Cross, St John Ambulance, etc. First Aid courses) are held by the Australian Resuscitation Council.

As a Mental health first aider you can help someone that might be developing a mental health problem, experiencing or worsening of a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. You can give this first aid until the person has received appropriate professional treatment or the crisis is resolved.

Director's Comments:

The reason why I wanted to become a mental health first aider is to be able to recognise the signs of mental illnesses and how you can support people in your direct environment to get the help they need. A key learning of the course was the ALGEE approach that can be applied to multiple situations, no matter the mental health issue at hand. This acronym stands for:

• Approach, assess and assist with any crisis - assess the risk of suicide or harm and look for signs of trauma and high anxiety.
• Listen to the person non-judgmentally.
• Give the person reassurance, support and information.
• Encourage the person to seek appropriate professional help.
• Encourage the person to seek self-help and other support strategies.

‍

At Human Digital, we are proud be a people centered agency and encourage you to educate yourself on mental health related problems so you can be equipped with skills to help others.

Click the button below on course information and learn more on how to become a Mental Health First Aider.