Encourage the individual to access NHS mental health services – this could be their GP or community mental health team (if already engaged with local mental health services) who will know their medical history and be able to direct them to the appropriate service. Encourage the individual to access NHS mental health services, ideally their own GP, as a matter of urgency and help to ensure that this happens – you could go with them if necessary or ensure someone else does. Online or face-to-face course structured across four flexible sessions. Each session is a maximum of 3hrs 45mins and sessions can be delivered within a two week period. At MHFA England, providing support, building confidence and growing a community to drive change is crucial to us. It isn't a footnote or a half-hearted line in the small print. We've spent 15 years generating conversation around workplace mental health, and we understand that being an effective MHFAider® requires learning and support beyond training.

MHFAiders are trained across the BBC to recognise the symptoms of mental health problems, to provide initial help in an emergency and guide a person towards appropriate professional help. They are not therapists or medical professionals; they are trained BBC colleagues who can offer immediate assistance in a crisis situation. MHFA was introduced at the BBC in August 2014 and as of March 2018 over 700 BBC staff have been trained. Each session builds on the previous, enabling the learner to gain confidence in supporting others with a Mental Health First Aid action plan. Recognise those that may be experiencing poor mental health and provide them with first-level support and early intervention Encourage the individual to talk to someone they trust (friend, family member or a mental health helpline such as the Samaritans) and perhaps their manager or HR Helpdesk if they have specific work related concerns. Medium riskOnce you complete the Mental Health First Aid course, you can test your knowledge and build your confidence in your role as an MHFAider® with the internationally recognised MHFAider® qualification, RSPH Level 3 Award in Mental Health First Aid.

In addition to the course, you will become part of the largest MHFAider® community in England, gaining access to resources, ongoing learning and 24/7 digital support through our MHFAider Support App®, to give you the tools and knowledge you need to carry out the role effectively and confidently, whether that be in your workplace, a volunteer role, or in the community. Course Details Becoming a MHFAider is a significant commitment - if you’re interested in being trained and supporting your colleagues, you can find out more about the training using the relevant link to the MHFA course. Learning takes place through a mix of instructor led training, group discussions, individual and group activities. MHFAiders® can help organise their roles with reminders and secure conversation journaling, to safely reflect on their work Computer or laptop with Intel Pentium 4 processor or later that is SSE2 capable and 512 MB of RAM, or a Surface PRO 2 or Surface PRO 3

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Additionally, MHFAiders® receive access to exclusive events so that they can continue to develop their support for your workplace beyond the training course

Know how to access a dedicated text service provided by Shout and ongoing learning opportunities with MHFA England Ubuntu 12.04, Mint 17.1, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.4, Oracle Linux 6.4, CentOS 6.4, Fedora 21, OpenSUSE 13.2, ArchLinux (64-bit only) If you are looking to train eight people or more, get in touch with our workplace mental health experts to learn more and to discuss your organisation's requirements: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) follows similar principles to physical / traditional first aid. It provides urgent help to someone in a mental health crisis.Ask if the individual would like someone to come and meet them to take them home (bear in mind they may be happier to stay at work if they feel Ok). This would need to be agreed and planned with the person’s care team in collaboration with the workplace. A referral to Occupational Health for advice and guidance about a return to work may be useful.