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Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is designed to teach staff, volunteers and parents alike how to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill-health. The training gives people the skills and confidence to safely address mental health issues in young people aged 8 to 18, with a strong practical focus on how to support a young person experiencing mental distress.
Course Context
MHFA 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 they are under the age of 16, then consent from a parent or guardian is required.
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.
Delegates receive a MHFA manual to keep and refer to whenever they need it and a certificate to confirm that they are a Youth Mental Health First Aider.
Duration: 2 days
Capacity: 16 delegates max.
Availability: Can be delivered throughout the UK by our countrywide network of trainers
Who Is It For?
The Youth Mental Health First Aid course is for anyone who works with, lives with or supports young people aged 8-18.
Key Benefits
The Youth MHFA 2-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-judgmental 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 their own mental wellbeing
Course Content
Youth Mental Health First Aid
- About Youth Mental Health First Aid
- Context: England’s child health care policy
- About mental health – facts and figures
- Risk factors for mental ill-health
- Protective factors for mental health
- Preventing mental health issues and promoting wellbeing
- The Youth MHFA action plan: ALGEE
Depression and anxiety
- About depression – facts and figures
- Signs and symptoms
- Risk factors
- About anxiety disorders – facts and figures
- Signs and symptoms
- Risk factors
- The MHFA action plan for depression and anxiety: ALGEE
Suicide and psychosis
- About suicide
- Risk factors and warning signs for suicide
- First aid for suicidal crisis
- About psychosis
- Risk factors and warning signs of psychosis
- Types of psychotic disorders
- Crisis first aid for acute psychosis
- The MHFA action plan for psychosis: ALGEE
Self-harm and eating disorders
- About self-harm – facts and figures
- Risk factors
- Signs and symptoms
- The MHFA action plan for self-harm: ALGEE
- About eating disorders – facts and figures
- Different types of eating disorders
- The MHFA action plan for eating disorders: ALGEE
- Recovery
Alternative Formats
We can also deliver the 1-day Youth MHFA Champions course and the half-day Youth Mental Health Aware course. Please get in touch with us for more details.
A testimonial for the Youth Mental Health First Aid course:
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Find out more
Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.
We are always happy to talk about our courses and help you to work out the best match for your requirements.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
"The quality of the training has been fantastic and our employees are really engaging with the trainer and getting something out of it. Also In Equilibrium makes the whole process very easy to arrange."
"We wanted to provide a course that taught useful and practical coping strategies that our members could put into place straight away. In Equilibrium’s experience showed us that they could provide this, and they tailored the course perfectly."
"In-Equilibrium recently presented Mental Health Awareness to Managers in all of our area offices. The training was really well received and all of the trainers were praised for their in-depth knowledge and understanding."
"The training was very well received by staff who now all intend to implement the session’s practical tips and techniques into their existing roles. A large proportion of the staff rated the facilitator and their delivery as excellent and their only recommendation was for a further and longer session!"
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