Mental Health First Aid Training
- Kiri McLaughlin
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
It can feel absolutely terrifying watching someone in emotional distress or crisis and not know what to do or where to signpost to.
When I started my therapeutic journey I was introduced to Mental Health First Aid, I was absolutely blown away by the training - while it complimented my therapeutic work I suddenly realised there was education out there appropriate for everyone - you didn’t need to be a therapist, or a mental health professional, you could just be a human wanting to help.
That’s what Mental Health First Aid is - it’s a human friendly 12 hour programme that teaches EVERYONE what to notice in their friends, family and colleagues, what to do and where to signpost or refer them to. So when someone is experiencing a mental health problem, distress or crisis we don’t feel terrified and unprepared.
When the opportunity to become a Mental Health First Aid trainer came up in 2021 through the Public Health Agency, I was like - “yes, count me the fuck in”. I knew how valuable and life changing this training could be, I heard the gaps in the system from clients, I saw the worry and uncertainty in my community so learning how to deliver this training felt right.
I’ve been doing that since, delivering on behalf of several charities in Northern Ireland, sharing the knowledge, framework and skills to public and professionals here and it’s been incredibly rewarding.
I think it’s time now that I started sharing Mental Health First Aid independently through here, so that’s what I’ve done! I’ve teamed up with an amazing friend and co-trainer Louise Woods and we’ve just launched our first open to all (over 16s) Mental Health First Aid training course.
So if you’d like to:
Recognise the signs of common mental health problems (e.g. depression, anxiety, psychosis, substance use)
give initial help and support to someone in distress or crisis
guide a person towards appropriate professional help
provide calm, practical support in situations such as suicidal thoughts, self-harm or panic attacks
We’d love for you to join us. Increase your knowledge, skills and confidence in mental health and mental health support. It’s 12 hours - that’s a commitment, but it’s invaluable and it could help save someone’s life.
Mental Health First Aid is Public Health Agency certified - once you complete and pass you’re a Mental Health First Aider for 3 years; Louise and I are accredited MHFA trainers, the training can count towards CPD within some professions and we provide all the materials, as well as 3 months of trainer support post-course if you require it.
You can download the leaflet below for more programme details
If you’d like to see our latest training dates, you can follow this link:
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