Mental Health First Aid
in the Victorian Department of Education
About Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aidยฎย Australia offers a range of early-intervention education courses that equip teaching, support staff, parents and students with the skills to recognise and respond if someone they know experiences a mental health problem or crisis situation.ย Mental Health First Aid (MHFAโข) training also helps improve outcomes and help seeking behaviours for those affected by mental health problems.
Developed in Australia, MHFA training courses are delivered by independent Instructors, who complete intensive training to become Mental Health First Aid Licensed. Our unique model allows Instructors to draw upon their diverse backgrounds, unique personal and professional life experiences, local knowledge and more, to deliver impactful MHFA training in the school setting. With a network of more than 2,800 Instructors across the country, schools can choose an Instructor that best reflects their specific needs.
Providing Mental Health First Aid training in schools helps whole school communities to:ย
ย
Intervene Early
Recognise the warning signs of mental health problemsย
Provide Skills
Provide the skills needed to speak to a young person about their mental healthย
Respond in a Crisis
Respond in crisis situations where a young person may be at risk of harmย
Reduce Stigma
Reduce stigma and increase support for people with mental health problemsย
Mental Health First Aid in Schools
Adolescence is a time of important change and development. It is also a time when mental health problems such as depression and anxiety can first emerge. During the high school years, mental health problems are among the leading causes of falling grades, problems with friends and relationships and substance use or abuse, and they can have a lifelong impact. That is why early intervention is so important.ย
Schools are an amazing source of support for adolescents and theirย families,ย but they can also be a source of strain or stress, especially for young peopleย who may be experiencing mental health problems.
This is where Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid training courses can help.ย
Mental Health First Aid Australia offers a range of courses for different audiences and settings. There areย three MHFA training courses currentlyย published by the Victorian Department of Education and Training on the Mental Health Menu, which schools can deliver using their allocated funding:
1. YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
For adults to supportย young peopleย
2. YOUTH ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
For adults to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young peopleย
3. TEEN MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
Forย teenagersย to offer peer-to-peer support
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Course Overview
Using a practical, evidence-based action plan, Youth MHFA equips teachers, support staff and parents with the knowledge and skills to recognise the signs and symptoms of the common and disabling mental health problems in young people, where and how to get help when a young person is developing a mental illness, what sort of help has been shown by research to be effective, and how to provide mental health first aid in crisis situations.
A Youth MHFA Refresher course is available for individuals that have completed the Youth MHFA course within the last 3 years. The Refresher course enables accredited Mental Health First Aidersโข to revise their knowledge and skills, and to extend their accreditation for a further 3 years.ย
Delivery Modesย and Costs
There are three ways that Youth MHFA training can be delivered: face-to-face, blended or fully online. Duration and cost to engage an external MHFA Instructor to deliver Youth MHFA courses for your school are listed in the drop-down boxes below.
All costs are inclusive of GST where applicable.
Mental Health First Aid Australia are working with Victorian-based Youth MHFA Licensed Instructors to deliver training at the below fixed prices. To connect with an Instructor, contact [email protected]
Face-to-Face
Face-to-face Instructor-led sessions.
Typically delivered over 2 days.
Can be broken into 4 x 3.5-hour sessions.
Face-to-face course: $300 per person
Blended Face-to-Face
Involves two components:
1. Self-paced eLearning (typically 4 hours)
2. Face-to-face Instructor led sessions (typically 1 day)
NOTE: Both Components 1 & 2 need to be completed within a 3-month period.
Blended course: $300 per person
Online
Involves two components:
1. Self-paced eLearning (typically 4 hours)
2. Online Instructor led sessions (typically 3 x 2.5 hours)
NOTE: Both Components 1 & 2 need to be completed within a 3-month period.
Online course: $220 per person
Refresher
Available for Accredited Youth Mental Health First Aiders those who have completed a Youth MHFA course within the last 3 years. Refresher course attendance will renew accreditation for a further 3 years.
Refresher courses are approximately 4 – 5 hours in length, and can be completed face to face or online.
Face-to-Face course: $200 per person
Online course: $150 per person
Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mentalย Healthย Firstย Aidย
Course Overview
Using a practical, evidence-based action plan, the Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid (Youth AMHFA) course equips teachers, support staff and parents with the knowledge and skillsย to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis.ย ย
This course grounds participants in social and emotional well-being from an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander perspective and explores strengths-based communication tips to engage with and get support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.ย
Delivery Modes and Costs:
There are three ways that Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA training can be delivered: face-to-face, blended or fully online.
Duration and cost to engage an external MHFA Instructor to deliver Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA courses for your school are listed in the drop-down boxes below.
All costs are GST inclusive where applicable.
Mental Health First Aid Australia are working with Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA Licensed Instructors to deliver training at the below fixed prices. To connect with an Instructor, contact [email protected]
Face-to-Face
Face-to-face Instructor-led sessions.
Typically delivered over 2 – 2.5 days.
Face-to-face course: $400 per person
Blended Face-to-Face
Involves two components:
1. Self-paced eLearning (typically 7 hours)
2. Face-to-face Instructor led sessions (1 x 5 hour session including breaks)
NOTE: Both Components 1 & 2 need to be completed within a 3-month period.
Blended course: $300 per person
Online
Involves two components:
1. Self-paced eLearning (typically 7 hours)
2. Online Instructor led sessions (1 x 5 hour session including breaks)
NOTE: Both Components 1 & 2 need to be completed within a 3-month period.
Online course: $220 per person
Teen Mental Health First Aid
Course Overview
The Teen MHFA course teaches students in Years 7-9 and 10-12 how to offer support to their peers and seek appropriate help from a trained adult where required. The course focuses on improving the mental health literacy of a whole student cohort, to reduce the stigmatising behaviours and attitudes that often prevent teens from getting the help and support they need.
The course educates teenagers on how to recognise changes in a friendsโ or classmates thinking, feelings or behaviour that may indicate the presence of a mental health problem, how to offer initial mental first aid support and how to connect them with a trusted adult.
Please noteย that is it is a requirementย that 10 percent ofย schoolย staff areย trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid, prior to implementing Teen Mental Health First Aid for students.ย
Delivery Modes and Costs
Teen MHFA training is delivered to an entire cohort of students (for example every Year 8 in the school) via 3 x face-to-face classroom sessions led by a Teen MHFA Licensed Instructor.
Costs to engage an external MHFA Instructor to deliver Teen MHFA courses for your school are listed below. All costs are GST inclusive where applicable.
Mental Health First Aid Australia are working with Victorian based Teen MHFA Licensed Instructors to deliver training at the below fixed prices. To connect with an Instructor, contact [email protected]
Face-to-Face
Face-to-face Instructor-led sessions:
Junior Teen (Years 7-9) 3 x 60min classroom sessions
Senior Teen (Years 10-12) 3 x 75min classroom sessions
$750 per classroom for delivery of 3 x face-to-face classroom-based sessions.
Teen MHFA training must be delivered to an entire cohort of students (I.e. to every student in a year level) and can only be delivered in settings where at least 10% of staff have completed a Youth MHFA course.
Safety Considerations
- There must always be a teacher present with the Teen MHFA Licensed Instructor in each classroom, or another student support person. Ideally this support person will be a Youth Mental Health First Aider.
- Where possible, a student welfare officer, counsellor, chaplain or youth worker should also be present in each class.
- At minimum, a student welfare coordinator or counsellor must be available at all times when Teen MHFA sessions are being run, in order to attend to the needs of any student should they become distressed.
Booking an MHFA Course
Mental Health First Aid Australia has created a database of current and active Licensed MHFA Instructors who will deliver MHFA training at a fixed price. To connect with an Instructor and book in an MHFA course, follow the link to the form below.
Training a Licensed MHFA Instructor
Mental Health First Aid Australia trains and licenses eligible individuals as MHFA Instructors, who then deliver Mental Health First Aid training courses in their school communities. Schools can use their allocated Mental Health Menu funding to train eligible staff as Youth and/or Teen MHFA Licensed Instructors.
Our unique Instructor training model can be a cost-effective and sustainable way to embed MHFA training within school communities. By funding staff members to become Licensed MHFA Instructors, MHFA training courses can then be delivered to staff, parents and students on an ongoing basis.
Eligibility
Instructor training applicants need to demonstrate they meet the following selection criteria:
- Be a current accredited MHFAider. This requires completion of a full 2-day face-to-face or Blended Online Mental Health First Aid Course and completion of the post-course accredited assessmentย
- Good knowledge of mental health problems and their treatments
- Personal or professional experience supporting people with mental illnesses
- Respectful attitudes towards people with mental health problems
- Enthusiasm to deliver MHFA courses
- Excellent group facilitation and communication skills
- Knowledge of mental health services
- Good interpersonal skills
- A business plan or organisational support to conduct MHFA courses
- Hold a valid Working With Children Check from your state / territory of residence
Cost
Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training
Cost: $3,550 per person
Length: 5 x days face-to-face training
Additional considerations: Suitably experienced
Standard, Older Person, and/or Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander MHFA Licensed Instructors are eligible to attend the first 3 days of this course if they have already delivered 3 full MHFA courses in their existing license(s), for a cost of $2,180 per person.
Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training (including Up-skill to deliver the course via Blended formats)
Cost: $3,550 per person
Length: 5 x days face-to-face training
Standard, Older Person, and/or Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander MHFA Licensed Instructors, who are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, are eligible to attend the first 3 days of this course if they have already delivered 3 full MHFA courses in their existing license(s), for a cost of $2,180 per person.)
Teen Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training
Cost: $2,110 per person
Length: 4 x days face-to-face training
Additional considerations: All participants of Teen MHFA Instructor training must attend the full 4-days, regardless of other MHFA licenses.
These fees cover:ย
- Attendance at the courseย
- All course and program delivery materials (USB, Kit, Teaching Notes, Mental Health First Aid Manual) for each participantย
- Ongoing technical assistance for participants upon becoming Licensed Instructorsย
- Ongoing resources and professional development supportย
- The Instructor License Fee for the first calendar year as an Instructor.
Additional costs and accreditation requirements
To maintain their license Instructors are required to:ย
- Regularly deliver MHFA courses (a minimum of two courses a year)ย
- Provide each participant in their course with a MHFA manual (purchased through our shop by a Licensed MHFA Instructor).ย
- Undertake regular continuing professional development.ย
- Pay an annual license fee of $110.ย
Up-skillsย to deliverย Blendedย MHFA coursesย costs $200 per Instructor.
Apply for an Instructor Training Course
To apply for an Instructor Training Course, please submit an enquiry by following the link below.