Mental ill health affects us all. Would you know how to help? Do you have adequate Mental Health Resources in your organisation? Become a Mental Health First Aider.
Mental ill health can strike at any time and can affect people from all walks of life and whilst things are improving, stigma still exists around mental ill health. As a society, we don't tend to know how to take care of our mental health like we do our physical health. This means that people may not know how to support a friend, family member or colleague experiencing a mental health issue, or where to go for support with their own mental health.
Become a Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®)
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.
You’ll learn to recognise warning signs of mental ill health and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone while keeping yourself safe.
You will also learn how to empower someone to access the support they might need for recovery or successful management of symptoms. This could include self-help books or websites, accessing therapy services through their GP, their school or place of work, online self-referral, support groups, and more.
What is more, you will gain an understanding of how to support positive wellbeing and tackle stigma in the world around you.
What’s involved?
This course trains you as a MHFAider®, giving you:
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An in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
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Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
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Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
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Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
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Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support - whether that’s self-help resources, through their employer, the NHS, or a mix
Format
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A face-to-face course delivered across two days
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Learning takes place through a mix of presentations, group discussions and workshop activities
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Each session is built around a Mental Health First Aid action plan
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We limit numbers to 8 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn
Takeaways
Everyone who completes the course gets:
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A hard copy workbook to support their learning throughout the course
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A digital manual to refer to whenever they need it after completing the course
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A wallet-sized reference card with the Mental Health First Aid action plan
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A digital MHFAider® certificate
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Access to the MHFAider Support App® for three years
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Access to ongoing learning opportunities, resources and exclusive events
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The opportunity to be part of the Association of Mental Health First Aiders
Book a course
2025 Course 1
The Counselling & Family Centre, 40 Mayors Road, Altrincham, WA15 9RP
Over two days:
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Friday 27 June 9.00am-5.00pm
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Friday 4 July 9.00am-5.00pm
This price for this course is £325.
You need to attend on both days in order to complete the course and qualify as an MHFAider®.
Course 1 - click here to book >
2025 Course 2
The Counselling & Family Centre, 40 Mayors Road, Altrincham, WA15 9RP
Over two days:
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Friday 19 September 9.00am-5.00pm
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Friday 26 September 9.00am-5.00pm
This price for this course is £325.
You need to attend on both days in order to complete the course and qualify as an MHFAider®.
Course 2 - click here to book >
Subsidised rates available for Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sectors.
Please contact alison.hambleton@thecfc.org.uk for all enquiries and bookings.
Refresher Courses
We also offer Mental Health First Aid Refresher courses as Mental Health First Aid training should be kept up to-date. We recommend MHFA Refresher training every three years. Enabling your MHFAiders® to refresh their skills, the same way your physical first aiders do, is a great way to demonstrate your organisation’s commitment to treating mental health and physical health equally.
Investing in the course will keep your MHFAiders® motivated, empowered and confident to carrying out their roles, and give you the peace of mind that they can perform their duties effectively.
Book here
The Counselling & Family Centre, 40 Mayors Road, Altrincham, WA15 9RP
Friday 5 September 2025 10:00am-3pm
This half day course is priced at £150 per person.
