Welcome to Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid® Australia offers a range of early-intervention education courses that equip teaching, support staff, parents and students with the skills to recognise and respond if someone they know experiences a mental health problem or crisis situation. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA™) training also helps improve outcomes and help seeking behaviours for those affected by mental health problems.
Developed in Australia, MHFA training courses are delivered by independent Instructors, who complete intensive training to become Mental Health First Aid Accredited. Our unique model allows Instructors to draw upon their diverse backgrounds, unique personal and professional life experiences, local knowledge and more, to deliver impactful MHFA training in the school setting. With a network of more than 2,800 Instructors across the country, schools can choose an Instructor that best reflects their specific needs.
Providing Mental Health First Aid training in schools helps whole school communities to:
Intervene Early
Recognise the warning signs of mental health problems
Provide Skills
Provide the skills needed to speak to a young person about their mental health
Respond in a Crisis
Respond in crisis situations where a young person may be at risk of harm
Reduce Stigma
Reduce stigma and increase support for people with mental health problems
What is Mental Health
First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid® (MHFA™) courses are a suite of internationally acclaimed and evidence-based, accredited training programs that empower and equip individuals with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to support a friend, family member or co-worker experiencing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis such as being suicidal.
Evidence-Based
Since it began in 2000, Mental Health First Aid International has been committed to evaluating its training programs using rigorous, scientific studies. Courses have been independently and academically peer-reviewed through studies both domestically and internationally.
Award-Winning
TheMental Health First Aid Program has received a number of international awards, including being awarded the prestigious Australian THeMHS Medal.
Global Movement
Mental Health First Aid is a global program with over 5 million people world-wide having received training from over 60,000 accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructors. MHFA Programs are currently being actively delivered in 24 countries.
Unparalleled Reach
Mental Health First Aid programs are adaptable to different countries, communities, participants, and target cohorts. It can be delivered at an individual level in small groups, or to workplaces, schools, clubs, and other community groups.
Lived Experience
Mental Health First Aid course curriculum is informed by a series of guidelines developed through the Delphi Consensus Method which includes people with lived experience of mental health problems and caregivers, in addition to clinical and research experts.
A Worldwide Presence
Mental Health First Aid® International, based in Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that develops, delivers and evaluates accredited mental health training programs, which can be licensed and culturally adapted by suitable mental health organisations in other countries.
Our organisation is a registered health promotion charity, operating within a professional, evidence-based model which has been extensively evaluated and is informed by lived experience.
Since the inception of the Mental Health First Aid Program in 2000, our organisation has evolved into a global movement with more than 60,000 accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructors delivering our courses in 24 countries working together to increase our global reach and impact. More than five million people have been trained worldwide as Mental Health First Aiders.
Over 5M people trained in Mental Health First Aid worldwide.
There are currently 26 active Mental Health First Aid Programs being delivered in 24 different countries.
There are now more than 60,000 accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructors globally.
Mental Health is a
Global Priority
Mental illness is a growing global crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Burden of Disease study estimate that almost 800,000 people die from suicide every year. That’s one person every 40 seconds.
Mental health is a complex personal, social and economic issue of concern for populations in every country. Modern society is presented with a myriad of stresses that can profoundly impact wellbeing, happiness, social participation, economic contribution and long-term life outcomes.
These complex issues require a robust, whole of system, stepped response inclusive of awareness, prevention, intervention, clinical care and postvention recovery support. Mental Health First Aid plays a unique and focused role within the broader mental health sector, offering targeted and proven services that are complementary of other efforts.
Research and Evaluation
Since it began in 2000, Mental Health First Aid® (MHFA™) Australia has been committed to the evaluation of our training programs using rigorous, scientific studies. We have developed a strong research and evaluation base as the MHFA program has spread around the world. The international evidence provided from trials and other studies has been published in peer-reviewed journals and demonstrates the effectiveness of MHFA training.
The evidence informing Mental Health First Aid courses includes a series of Guidelines developed through the Delphi Consensus Method, a way of reaching consensus within and between expert groups. Experts included in these studies have included people with personal lived experience of mental health problems and caregivers, in addition to clinical and research experts from around the world.
Our Policies
Privacy Policy
Site Map
Contact us
Media Enquiries
FOLLOW US