What is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)?

We all experience life’s ups and downs.

Mental Health First Aid is a programme that helps you know how to deal with challenging life situations. It also teaches you how to support others who are going through a difficult time.

Using real life situations, trained instructors show you how to listen without judging and support and encourage people to seek professional help if needed.

What will you learn……

You will learn a lifelong skill that will make a positive difference to you and others.

The MHFA program workshops we provide communities are:

• Standard MHFA for all communities

• Whanau MHFA for our Maori community

• Pasifika MHFA for our Pacific community

Please Note: This course is not a therapy or support group. It is mental health literacy, an educational workshop in which you will learn how to give mental health first aid to those in need.

How is this Mental Health First Aid course different?

This course has been developed over more than 15 years by a combination of university researchers, professionals and people with lived experience of mental distress and illness in Australia and New Zealand. It is an accredited, international programme and has been presented to over 2 million participants in more than 25 countries. It is adapted under licence in New Zealand to reflect New Zealand cultures, services and statistics.

Learning outcomes

Our MHFA workshop teaches you how to assist someone who is experiencing mental distress, developing a mental illness or is in a mental health crisis.

Mental illness topics covered:

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Psychosis

• Substance misuse

Mental health crisis topics covered:

• Suicidal thoughts and behaviour

• Panic attacks

• Severe psychotic states

• Severe effects from alcohol or drug misuse

• Aggressive behaviour

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID IS A THOROUGHLY EVALUATED, EVIDENCE INFORMED, SKILLS DEVELOPMENT COURSE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS

MHFA courses are based on evidence of what is best practice mental health first aid to support someone who has a mental health problem or is experiencing a mental health crisis. This evidence has been developed in partnership with the University of Melbourne, through developing guidelines that cover a number of mental health problems, crises and in different contexts. Once developed, courses are evaluated to assess the outcomes.

The course is run over two days from 8.30- 4.30 pm. You will receive your own copy of the Mental Health First Aid workshop manual. Morning and afternoon tea and lunch are included. You will receive a certificate on completion.

The next course will be held on the 29th and 30th of October.

More information can be found on our website www.stepstone.org.nz or you can email at mhfa@stepstone.org.nz or phone reception on (03) 338 6390.