Become a certified
Youth Mental Health First Aider
This is an online course
Certified through MHFA England • Instruction by Peter Larkum
This is the online equivalent course to the in-person Youth MHFA 2 Day.
Price
£390 (£325 + VAT)
Live sessions
Mon 3 Mar, Tue 4 Mar, Mon 10 Mar, Tue 11 Mar
Identify, understand, and help
Mental Health First Aid Online is an educational course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help a person who may be developing a mental health issue. In the same way as we learn physical first aid, Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to recognise those crucial warning signs of mental ill health.
Cameras on!
To help with engagement, we ask everyone to keep their cameras on during every session. If you do not wish to have your camera on, please let us know ahead of time so we know not to request you to turn it on during the session.
Structure
This 4-day online course starts on Fri 28 Mar (to give you time to complete the self-learning activities before our first live session on Mon 3 Mar) and concludes Tue 11 Mar. There are…
4 live sessions with Peter (3.5 hours each)
Self-learning activities to complete before each live session
A physical manual and workbook (shipped to your address)
Online live sessions
Mon 3 Mar, 9.30am – 1.30pm
Tue 4 Mar, 9.30am – 1.30pm
Mon 10 Mar, 9.30am – 1.30pm
Tue 11 Mar, 9.30am – 1.30pm
Live sessions with Peter are conducted over a password-protected private meeting on Enabley and built around a Mental Health First Aid action plan.
Self-learning activities
Before each live session with Peter, we provide self-learning activities from a workbook to complete.
You will have access to start the first self-learning activities 3–4 days before the first live session. They can be done at your own pace, in your own time, so long as you’re complete before the next live session.
Course materials are shipped to your address in advance.
Find more details of the course outline below.
Course numbers
Due to some of the sensitive subjects within the MHFA courses, including suicide, we limit numbers to 16 people. We want everyone to feel safe and Peter can help if anyone finds some bits particularly difficult.
You’ll learn how to…
Spot the early signs of a mental health problem
Feel confident helping someone experiencing a mental health problem
Provide help on a first aid basis
Help prevent someone from hurting themselves or others
Help stop a mental illness from getting worse
Help someone recover faster
Guide someone towards the right support
Reduce the stigma of mental health problems
By the end of the course, you’ll have…
A certificate of attendance to say you are a Mental Health First Aider
A manual to refer to whenever you need it
A quick reference card for the Mental Health First Aid action plan
A workbook including a helpful toolkit to support your own mental health
What’s the course like?
The course is a mix of online presentation and group discussions with self-learning activities guided by a physical course handbook.
We provide a very safe learning environment and are trained to support you throughout the whole course. If you don't feel comfortable joining in certain bits, then don't, we won't make you do something you aren't comfortable with.
Delivered by award-winning MHFA instructor Peter Larkum
Peter has been delivering the MHFA courses for over 10 years and has trained tens of thousands of delegates across all sectors. Awarded for ‘Excellence in Training’ Peter carries his energetic, engaging and empathetic delivery into his online presentation style.
Clients delivered to include:
Cisco • Ministry of Defence • Oxfam • WHSmith • BBC • Network Rail • Aviva • Oxford University • British Gas • YMCA • The NHS • Hampshire County Council • Princes Trust
Course outline
Session 1: Introduction
Individual self-learning (1 hour 15 minutes)
Introduction to the Online Youth Mental Health First Aid course and the Online Learning Hub
Activity 1: Why Youth Mental Health First Aid?
Activity 2: What is ALGEE?
Activity 3: What is mental health?
Activity 4: Mental health and stigma
Activity 5: Mental health quiz: Impact of mental health
Activity 6: Risk and protective factors for mental health
Activity 7: The Stress Container
Live session #1
Introduction to the course
Outline of live session 1, the value of Youth Mental Health First Aid
Introduce ALGEE
Recap what mental health is
Recap the Mental Health Continuum
Stigma
Recap why Youth Mental Health First Aid is important
Recap risk and protective factors
The Stress Container
The Frame of Reference
Session 2: Depression, anxiety and self-care
Individual self-learning (1 hour 15 minutes)
Activity 8: Your Stress Container
Activity 9: Your Frame of Reference
Activity 10: What is depression?
Activity 11: What is anxiety?
Live session #2
Introduction to live session 2
Recap of homework after live session 1
Recap depression
Signs and symptoms of depression in a young person
Recap anxiety
Signs and symptoms of anxiety in a young person
ALGEE for depression and anxiety in a young person
ALGEE for depression and anxiety, action 1
ALGEE for depression and anxiety, action 2-5
Self-care and close
Session 3: Suicide and psychosis
Individual self-learning (1 hour 20 minutes)
Activity 12: Adolescent brain development
Activity 13: About suicide
Activity 14: Suicide risk factors
Activity 15: What is psychosis?
Activity 16: Lived experience of psychosis
Activity 17: ALGEE for psychosis
Live session #3
Introduction to live session 3
Recap suicide
Explore the impact of suicidal feelings
ALGEE for suicidal crisis
Practice non-judgemental listening skills
Recap psychosis
Recap warning signs and symptoms of psychosis
Recap ALGEE for psychosis
Session 4: Self-harm, recovery and action planning
Individual self-learning (1 hour 35 minutes)
Activity 18: What is self-harm?
Activity 19: What are eating disorders?
Activity 20: Resilience
Workbook activity 7: My action plan for using Youth Mental Health First Aid (completed after live session)
Live session #4
Introduction to live session 4
Recap self-harm, the self-harm continuum
Warning signs of self-harm in young people
ALGEE for self-harm
Recap eating disorders
ALGEE for eating disorders
Applying MHFA to family and carers; the Recovery Tree
Evaluation forms and close