Adult Mental Health First Aid

Becoming a Mental Health First Aider 

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA®) is a training course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.

MHFA won’t teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening.

If you train to become a Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®), you will receive three years of certification, plus access to ongoing benefits.   

This course is ideal for individuals who would like to gain the knowledge and skills to spot signs of people experiencing poor mental health, be confident to start a conversation and signpost a person to appropriate support.​ 

In addition to the course, you will become part of the largest MHFAider® community in England, gaining access to resources, ongoing learning and 24/7 digital support through our MHFAider Support App®, to give you the tools and knowledge you need to carry out the role effectively and confidently, whether that be in your workplace, a volunteer role, or in the community.

Course outcomes 

As a MHFAider® you will be able to:

• Recognise those that may be experiencing poor mental health and provide them with first-level support and early intervention 
• Encourage a person to identify and access sources of professional help and other supports 
• Practise active listening and empathy 
• Have a conversation with improved mental health literacy around language and stigma 
• Discuss the MHFAider® role in depth, including boundaries and confidentiality 
• Practise self-care 
• Know how to use the MHFAider Support App® 
• Know how to access a dedicated text service provided by Shout and ongoing learning opportunities with MHFA England  

Course delivery options

• Online or face-to-face course structured across four flexible sessions. Each session is a maximum of 3hrs 45mins and sessions can be delivered within a two week period.  
• Learners will be trained over four live sessions with an MHFA England Instructor Member, covering 14 hours of content in total.​ 
• Learning takes place through a mix of instructor led training, group discussions, individual and group activities. 
• Each session builds on the previous, enabling the learner to gain confidence in supporting others with a Mental Health First Aid action plan. 
• We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that instructors can keep people safe and supported while they learn. 
• We strive for all of our learning content to be as accessible and inclusive as possible. 

Everyone who attends this course will receive 

• A hard copy workbook to support their learning throughout the course 
• A digital manual to refer to whenever they need it​ after completing the course 
• A wallet-sized reference card with the Mental Health First Aid action plan​ 
• A digital MHFAider® certificate  
• Access to the MHFAider Support App® for three years 
• Access to ongoing learning opportunities, resources and exclusive events ​ 
• The opportunity to be part of the largest MHFAider® community in England

Source reference; taken from Mental Health First Aid England

How do I book?

Contact our training team by emailing training@rethink.org or by calling  0333 222 5878.

Click here to access the MHFA training brochure