Youth Mental Health First Aid Training

Would you know how to help?

Let’s start with the statistics. One in ten young people experience a mental health issue at any one time. For those aged 5-19 suicide is the second most common cause of death, and a record number of children contacted Childline with suicidal thoughts in 2016/17.

In an average group of 30 15-year-olds:
Seven are likely to have been bullied
Six may be self-harming
One could have experienced the death of a parent

Record levels of young people are struggling. Academic pressure, social media, bullying, poverty, lack of availability of professional mental health support – all have been named as contributing to this epidemic of poor mental health in our young people.

It’s clear that young people are not getting the support they need. Key figures in a young person’s life – parents, family members, teachers, tutors, carers, youth workers – can often spot when a young person is struggling but may not know how best to help.

Learn to support young people

I am an approved MHFA England Instructor and deliver the following youth courses; Two Day Course – Become a Youth Mental Health First Aider, One Day – Become a Youth Mental Health Champion and the Half Day – Mental Health Aware. Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses are for everyone who works with, lives with or supports young people aged 8-18. They will teach you 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.

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.

Let’s create a future where mental health is treated as a normal part of life, in the same way as physical health. A future where every young person has access to support if they need it.

2 DAY COURSE

BECOME A YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDER

Our Youth MHFA Two Day course qualifies you as a Youth Mental Health First Aider.

Youth Mental Health First Aiders have:

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

What to expect

We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn. Young people are welcome on the course but if you’re under the age of 16 we need consent from your parent or guardian.

Learning takes place across four manageable sessions. Through a mix of group activities, presentations and discussions, each session is built around a Youth Mental Health First Aid action plan. You will get an MHFA manual to keep and refer to whenever you need it.

When you complete the two days you’ll get a certificate to say you are a Youth Mental Health First Aider.

1 DAY COURSE

BECOME A YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CHAMPION

Our one day course qualifies you as a Youth MHFA Champion.

Youth MHFA Champions have:

An understanding of common mental health issues and how they can affect young people
Ability to spot signs of mental ill health in young people and guide them to a place of support
Knowledge and confidence to advocate for mental health awareness
Skills to support positive wellbeing

What to expect

The day includes a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities. You will get a Youth MHFA manual to keep and refer to whenever you need it.

When you complete the day you’ll get a certificate to say you are a Youth MHFA Champion.

1/2 DAY COURSE

BECOME MENTAL HEALTH AWARE

Our half day course is an introductory three hour session to raise awareness of young people’s mental health.

It is designed to give:

An understanding of some of the common mental health issues affecting young people, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and psychosis
Skills to work more effectively with young people living with mental health issues
Ways to support young people with a mental health issue and relate to their experiences
A taste of the contents of the Youth MHFA Two Day course

What to expect

We limit numbers to 25 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn.

You will get a manual to keep and refer to whenever you need it. When you complete the session you’ll get a certificate to say you are Youth Mental Health Aware.