COURSE CONTENT
The MHFA course takes 12 hours and is given in two separate sessions of 6 hours. In the course, attention will be paid to the most common mental health problems.
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Psychosis
• Substance use
And the crisis situations:
• Suicide and suicidal thoughts
• Panic attack
• Traumatic events
• Severe psychotic state
• Severe effects of alcohol or drug use
• Aggressive behaviour
Use of different practices makes it an interactive course in which course members can contribute.
WHY MHFA?
Mental health problems are common.
Everyone comes into contact with it; in your family, in your circle of friends, at work, or at school. Lack of knowledge of mental health problems and not knowing what to do means that help comes late or that no help is provided. Due to all kinds of prejudices about mental health problems, the threshold for making contact or seeking help is high. MHFA can help lower this threshold in order to seek and find suitable help at an early stage.
Extensive scientific research has shown that MHFA has a positive effect on recognizing mental health problems in yourself and others and on reducing stigma.
DO I GET A CERTIFICATE?
Supporting the class meetings of the course you can use an e-learning system (Note: only available in the Dutch language). The e-learning is without obligation. When you have participated 100% in the two classroom meetings, completed the test with succes, and completed the evaluation, you will receive a certificate. You will then be registered as ‘first responder MHFA’. The certificate is valid for three years. After completing the refresher course after three years, the validity of your certificate will be extended by three years.
If someone cuts their finger or burns themselves, then you’ll provide first aid. But what do you do when a loved one, a friend, a neighbor, or your student has a panic attack, stays in bed the entire day, or is increasingly gloomy?
DO YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE?
The course ‘Mental Health First Aid’ is an internationally recognized course, in which you learn how to provide first aid to offer help to people with (incipient) mental health problems or people in crisis.
The course primarily focuses on early intervention and prevention. It can help prevent the escalation of (mental health) issues and, within organizations, contribute to mental well-being and the reduction of absenteeism
In the course, you will get information about mental health disorders and it teaches you how to have a conversation with someone who has mental health problems. You also learn how to act when someone is in crisis. After the course you can give someone a helping hand; you can really make a difference for someone who may feel very lonely and who has become entangled in the problems he experiences.
FOR WHOM IS THE COURSE INTENDED?
The course is meaningful for every adult because everyone, at some point in his life, meets mental health issues; in the surrounding area, in the circle of friends, or during work. For example, officials such as housing corporation employees, hairdressers, sports coaches, teachers, managers, absence supervisors, shop staff, bus drivers, train conductors, home care workers, firefighters, voluntary emergency services, and supervisors of numerous leisure activities such as soccer trainers, volunteers in community centers etc. In short: at some point, everyone has to deal with someone who has mental health problems. Recognizing signals and knowing how to respond in a good way means that you can make a difference in the life of someone else.
LEARN MORE
At www.mhfa.nl you will find an overview of our products and our current courses by region. On the website, you can see which partner you can contact in your region and how to apply for the course.
Companies and organizations can sign up for in-company group courses. A non-binding conversation about what MHFA can do for your company or organization is obviously possible.