It has been an amazing course and experience. I have learnt a lot on how to support and help young people, I feel more confident and gained new skills. Thank you so much, I highly recommend the course for any parents, school teachers or anyone in contact with young people.
This online Youth MHFA course gives you:
- 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
- And qualifies you as a Youth Mental Health First Aider.
Price
The course is usually priced at £300 but we can offer discounts to those on low incomes. Please get in touch if this applies to you.
Format
This is an online course delivered through the MHFA England Online Learning Hub. Learning takes place through four live training sessions, spread across two weeks, with self-learning activities in between. Each session is built around a Mental Health First Aid action plan. We limit numbers to 16 people per course so that the instructor can keep people safe and supported while they learn.
Takeaways
On completion of the course, you will receive:
- A certificate of attendance to say you are a Youth Mental Health First Aider
- A manual to refer to whenever you need it
- A workbook including a helpful toolkit to support your own mental health
Course structure
Session One Introduction
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING
- Introduction to the Online Youth Mental Health First Aid course and the Online Learning Hub
- Why Youth Mental Health First Aid?
- What is ALGEE?
- What is mental health?
- Mental health and stigma
- Mental health quiz: Impact of mental health
- Risk and protective factors for mental health
- The Stress Container
LIVE SESSION
- Introduction to the course
- Outline of live session 1, the value of Youth Mental Health First Aid
- Introduce ALGEE
- Recap what mental health is
- Recap the Mental Health Continuum
- Stigma
- Recap why Youth Mental Health First Aid is important
- Recap risk and protective factors
- The Stress Container
- The Frame of Reference
Session Two Depression, Anxiety & Self-Care
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING
- Your Stress Container
- Your Frame of Reference
- What is depression?
- What is anxiety?
LIVE SESSION
- Introduction to live session 2
- Recap of homework after live session 1
- Recap depression
- Signs and symptoms of depression in a young person
- Recap anxiety
- Signs and symptoms of anxiety in a young person
- ALGEE for depression and anxiety in a young person
- Self-care
Session Three Suicide & Psychosis
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING
- Adolescent brain development
- About suicide
- Suicide risk factors
- What is psychosis?
- Lived experience of psychosis
- ALGEE for psychosis
LIVE SESSION
- Introduction to live session 3
- Recap suicide
- Explore the impact of suicidal feelings
- ALGEE for suicidal crisis
- Practice non-judgemental listening skills
- Recap psychosis
- Recap warning signs and symptoms of psychosis
- Recap ALGEE for psychosis
Session Four Self-Harm, Recovery & Action Planning
INDIVIDUAL LEARNING
- What is self-harm?
- What are eating disorders?
- Resilience
- My action plan for using Youth Mental Health First Aid (completed after live session)
LIVE SESSION
- Introduction to live session 4
- Recap self-harm, the self-harm continuum
- Warning signs of self-harm in young people
- ALGEE for self-harm
- Recap eating disorders
- ALGEE for eating disorders
- Applying MHFA to family and carers; the Recovery Tree
- Feedback
My instructor was everything! He delivered serious content in a way that wasn’t disrespectful but made it clear to relate to and digest. His own anecdotes enriched the quality of the content. James was responsible for leading 4 great sessions faultlessly. His honesty and expertise was reassuring. I’m glad I decided to enrol on the course and feel blessed I went with James. I do feel confident, as a result, on attending to mental health first aid opportunity. I appreciate the value of approaching and assisting sensitively and effectively, the value of active listening with empathy, the importance of providing appropriate, reassuring information and encouraging both professional and other areas of support. I shall certainly be more mindful of warning signs and symptoms moving forward.
