Mental Health First Aid Training
TrackSAFE can deliver the Mental Health First Aid Standard Workplace course for any organisation connected to the rail industry.
The Mental Health First Aid course is delivered by an Accredited Instructor in-house, either face-to-face, online with the Instructor or a combination of face-to-face and self-paced learning. More information is below.
A flyer explaining the process for TrackSAFE to facilitate the delivery of Mental Health First Aid in your workplace is here. Contact us if you would like more information or to receive a quote. info@tracksafefoundation.com.au
What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognised mental health course.
The Standard course teaches simple, practical first aid skills for helping a co-worker, family member, friend or other person who is experiencing mental health problems or mental health crisis until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis is resolved.
1 in 5 Australians will experience a mental health problem in any given year. This means it’s highly likely that we all have friends, family members or colleagues who have experienced or are experiencing a mental health problem – whether we know it or not.
In a similar vein to having First Aid Officers in the workplace, Mental Health First Aid Accredited Officers are on the ground in the workplace with the skills and confidence to have supportive conversations with their co-workers and help guide them to professional assistance. They also provide an informal way of individuals accessing support outside of human resources or a manager and are a complement to other support services such as the Employee Assistance Program.
Who can attend?
The course is suitable for rail employees at all levels.
Course format and content
Courses are delivered by an Accredited Mental Health First Aid Instructor.
The Standard Workplace course can be delivered in 1 of 3 ways:
- Face to Face: 2 x 6-hour sessions over 2 days (Participants: minimum 6 – up to 25)
- Blended Face to Face: Self-paced eLearning (5-7 hours), followed by a 4-hour face to face session (Participants: minimum 6 – up to 25 )
- Blended Online: self-paced eLearning (5–7 hours), followed by 2×2.5-hour videoconferencing sessions (Participants: minimum 6 – up to 15).
Participants can choose to complete a short assessment at the end of the course to become an Accredited Mental Health First Aider. Accreditation is valid for 3 years.
The reaccreditation course is delivered online by an Accredited Instructor as either 1×5-hour session or 2×2.5-hour sessions over 1 or 2 days, (Participants: minimum 6 – up to 15).
Information on the process for TrackSAFE to facilitate Mental Health First Aid in your workplace is available here.
Information about Mental Health First Aid courses available to the public, including accessing available courses for individuals (or groups of less than 6 people) are available here.
Upon completion of the MHFA Standard Workplace course participants will be able to:
- Recognise the signs and symptoms of mental health problems in adults
- Use an evidence-based action plan to initiate a mental health first aid conversation
- Know the barriers to help-seeking and how to overcome these
- Assess for a range of crisis situations and provide initial support
- Understand the prevalence and impact of mental illnesses, risk factors and treatments and supports available
- Apply self-care practices as a Mental Health First Aider.
The course covers common and disabling mental health problems and crisis situations. Participants learn how to apply mental health first aid to adults across a range of situations, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Psychosis
- Substance use problems
- Suicidal thoughts and behaviours
- Panic attacks
- Non-suicidal self-injury
- Traumatic events.
How many MHFA Officers do we need?
Some organisations choose to match the number of Mental Health First Aid Accredited Officers to the number of accredited First Aid Officers within the organisation. Others encourage those involved in peer-to-peer support programs to undertake Mental Health First Aid training. Others aim for diversity, with Mental Health First Aid Accredited Officers differing in seniority, position, gender, sexual orientation and cultural background and accessible within the different work areas of the organisation. In this way, it increases the likelihood that someone developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis will find someone they feel comfortable talking with.
Mental Health First Aid Australia Workplace Recognition Program
Mental Health First Aid Australia has developed a workplace recognition program for organisations that achieve a minimum percentage of staff trained within the last three years; and complete actions which demonstrate the commitment to Mental Health First Aid in your workplace. There are three tiers of recognition – Gold, Silver and Bronze. More information is available here.
Impact of Mental Health First Aid
Evaluations have consistently shown that Mental Health First Aid training is associated with improved knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, knowledge of appropriate first aid strategies, and confidence in providing first aid to individuals with mental illness. Research shows that these benefits are sustained over time. Some studies have also shown improved mental health in those who attend the training, decreases in stigmatising attitudes and increases in the amount and type of support provided to others.