Wellness & wellbeing
Mental Health First Aid
Our mission is to improve mental wellness through having a trained and certified mental health first aider in every organisation in New Zealand.
Become a mental health first aider today.
Book on one of our course today and begin your journey to becoming a certified
Mental Health First Aider.
Upcoming Public MHFA Courses
BOOK NOW – SEATS SELLING FAST
Auckland
2 Day Face to Face
EMA
159 Khyber Pass Road, Grafton
Tues 14 & Wed 15 November 2023
9.30am – 4.00pm
5 SEATS LEFT!
Tauranga
2 Day Face to Face
Shared Workspace
3b / 65 Chapel Street
Thurs 23 & Thurs 30 November 2023
9.30am – 4.30pm
5 SEATS LEFT!
Online
Online learning & 2 Zoom Sessions
Tues 5 & Thurs 7 December 2023
9.00am – 12.00pm
3 SEATS LEFT!
What you'll learn
- An in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
- Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
- Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
- Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
Mental Health First Aid is a global program that was inspired by the successful physical first aid model. Developed in Australia in 2000, the curriculum is regularly updated to ensure it is drawing upon latest research data and evidence.
Our MHFA courses are based on the expert consensus of industry professionals and people with lived experience of mental health problems. Additionally, MHFA Australia has worked in partnership with researchers at the University of Melbourne to develop guidelines for action that cover a number of mental health problems and crises.
What you'll take away
- A certificate of attendance to say you are a Mental Health First Aider
- A MHFA manual to refer to whenever you need it
- A quick reference card for the Mental Health First Aid action plan
Requirements
None. This course has no pre-requisites to complete.
This course is for anyone who wants to learn how to recognise warning signs of mental ill health, and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support a friend, family member or co-worker while keeping yourself safe.
You’ll learn how to empower someone to access the support they might need for recovery or successful management of symptoms.
Course outline
Day 1
An introduction to mental illness and interventions throughout the spectrum, including specific action plans for mental health first aid responders. Comprehensive learnings on the application of MHFA action plans in a variety of situations, including depressive episodes, trauma, suicidal thoughts or behaviours and physical self-harm incidents.
Day 2
Continued detailed sessions on specific mental health illnesses including anxiety, panic attacks, psychosis, substance misuse and crisis first aid techniques. Learning and development of MHFA actions plans for intervention in these situations including self-care and safety of intervening mental health first aiders.
Become a mental health first aider today.
Book on one of our course today and begin your journey to becoming a certified
Mental Health First Aider.
Hear from previous clients
Course background
Mental health & wellbeing 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. In New Zealand, The Health promotion Agency (HPA) estimates that one in five people will suffer from medium to high levels of mental distress, and this statistic is trending upwards over time.
From an economic perspective, the Government enquiry into Mental Health and Addiction (2018) estimates the annual cost burden of serious mental illness in New Zealand is around $12 billion or 5% of gross domestic product. The report also found that the number of people accessing mental health services has grown by 73% over the past 10 years.
As an accredited provider of the MHFA Aotearoa curriculum, we are determined raise awareness of the programme and mental health crisis prevention in New Zealand. Our goal is to have a trained and certified mental health first aider in every organisation in New Zealand. At a broader community level, we aim to have one in ten people in New Zealand trained by 2025.
Partners and Co’s wider organisational mission is to provide high quality, evidence-based mental health and wellbeing education, training and resources to all New Zealanders (within the prevention and early intervention stages of the mental health spectrum). Delivery of the MHFA curriculum is the first step in a journey to improve the mental wellbeing of the nation.
Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa is an internationally recognised and accredited programme. Join over 4 million people globally who have already become MH First Aiders.
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
The Mental Health First Aid Program has received a number of international awards, including being awarded the prestigious Australian The MHS Medal.
A global movement
Mental Health First Aid is a global program with over 4 million people world-wide having received training from over 50,000 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.
Combats stigma
There is stigma (negative attitudes) and discrimination associated with mental health problems. Stigma may lead people to hide their problems from others. Better community understanding of experiences of people with mental health problems can reduce prejudice and discrimination.
Meet your facilitators
Helen Hughes
Occupational Health & Safety Nurse
Helen is a qualified Occupational Health & Safety nurse with of over 25 years experience and a seasoned facilitator of over 20 years. Helen is well versed in training people from a variety of backgrounds including healthcare, professional services and construction. Helen is dedicated to making a positive difference to people’s lives through training people to become a Mental Health First Aider.
Lindsey Rayner
Co-Founder HumanEx
Lindsey is Co-founder of Humanex and has over 15 years’ experience at facilitating courses to support people reach their goals. Lindsey is passionate about creating a safe and secure learning environment to empower people with the confidence to fulfil their learning journey in becoming a Mental Health First Aider.
Become a mental health first aider today.
Book one of our course today and begin your journey to becoming a certified
Mental Health First Aider.
You're in good company
Frequently asked questions
What happens if the course location goes into level 3 or level 4?
In the event that the city or town where the course is taking place is in alert level 3 or 4 at the planned time of the course we will move the course to another date or deliver via online.
If you do not wish to participate in the online course, please see the cancellation information below.
Will this course certify me as a First Aider?
Yes.
On passing the course you will be a certified Mental Health First Aider, valid for 3 years.
Becoming one of over 4 million Mental Health First Aiders globally.
Am I required to complete additional training in the future?
If you wish to maintain your certification, you will be required to complete a MHFA Refresher course every 3 years.
Do you deliver open/public courses?
Yes.
We deliver public courses nationwide.
Check out our current courses and if your preferred location is not available, please drop us a message, we might be planning course near you soon.
Do you deliver in-house training?
Yes.
We deliver courses in-house nationwide.
We would love to hear from you.
What happens if I need to cancel my ticket?
We understand things happen, so if for any reason you need to cancel your Mental Health First Aider training we can provide a refund or credit for another training session.
If you would like the course fee refunded please note that a $50 administration fee will be deducted from the refund amount. Because our course fees can change year on year, please be aware you may need to supplement your credit to book a course in the next calendar year.
Become a mental health first aider today.
Book one of our course today and begin your journey to becoming a certified
Mental Health First Aider.