Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) programme provides a practical framework to support the mental health and wellbeing of the young people you work with.

Why children’s mental health is important

At any one time, 1 in 10 children and young people are experiencing a mental health issue, and in 2017, over 22,400 young people contact Childline about suicidal thoughts and feelings, the highest number ever.

In an average classroom of 15 year olds:

Evidence shows that the only effective long-term way to improve mental health is through a ‘whole organisation’ approach, where all parts of an organisation and its community are encouraged to work together.

Youth MHFA courses for school staff

TTE is an accredited provider of MHFA England’s a range of Youth half-day, one-day and two-day courses in MHFA.

Youth MHFA courses provide staff with the tools for understanding and supporting young people, and engaging the whole school community – providing a foundation for this ‘whole organisation’ approach.

The courses give your staff the tools to:

• recognise the symptoms of mental health issues
• intervene early to provide initial help and reassurance
• guide a young person to access appropriate professional support, for a faster recovery
• stop preventable issues arising by building a supportive culture of wellbeing
• embed positive, long term cultural change in policy and procedure
• proactively support their own wellbeing and that of their colleagues

The half-day, one-day and two-day courses suit a range of timescales, objectives and budgets – from basic mental health awareness to a full Youth Mental Health First Aider qualification – suitable for anyone who teaches, works with or cares for 8-18-year-olds. All courses are delivered by a quality assured instructor who has successfully complete the seven-day Instructor Training Programme accredited by the Royal Society of Public Health.

Courses cover key aspects of mental health and young people, including depression and anxiety, suicide and psychosis and elf-harm and eating disorders. There is a strong focus on issues affecting young people, including bullying/cyber bullying and substance misuse.

For more information about all Youth MHFA courses, please visit the MHFA website.

MHFA Instructor training

Having a qualified Youth MHFA instructor who can deliver training to colleagues, partner organisations and parents is a cost-effective and sustainable way to roll-out MHFA training across larger organisations and communities.

TTE delivers the MHFA Instructor Training course accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health, helping schools and other organisations working with young people to better meet their needs, and remain compliant with statutory requirements.

For more information about all Youth MHFA courses, download the Mental Health First Aid brochure.