Youth Mental Health First Aid – Mental Health First Aid Australia

Program description

Youth Mental Health First Aid (Youth MHFA) is a practical, skills-based course focused on improving mental health literacy and equips secondary school staff with knowledge and skills to recognise signs and symptoms of common mental health problems in young people aged 12–18 years.

The course is delivered by independent Licensed Youth MHFA Instructors via face-to-face, blended face-to-face or blended online formats. Schools can engage an external Youth MHFA Instructor to deliver courses to their staff, or train eligible staff members as a Youth MHFA Instructor to then deliver Youth MHFA courses on behalf of the school.

Training to become a Youth MHFA instructor can be done via 2 pathways, a 5-day face-to-face course and a 3-day Masterclass. The Masterclass is only available to current Licensed MHFA instructors.

Intended outcomes

• Reduced stigmatising attitudes
• Increased knowledge of mental health problems
• Increased confidence in recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health problems in young people

Program details

Implementation considerations

• Target population: Secondary school staff who support students aged 12–18 years.
• Program adaptability: Licensed MHFA Instructors have a vast range of expertise and local community knowledge they can draw on to create a meaningful and inclusive experience for participants. They also have access to supplementary course materials, that help ensure that course delivery best meets the needs of the school and participants. The program is adaptable for diverse cohorts including:
  • asylum seeker and refugee students
  • culturally and linguistically diverse students.
• Staffing: Schools will need to consider backfilling of any staff who attend Youth MHFA courses or Instructor Training. The Menu provider and its personnel must not be alone with any school student or group of school students in the classroom or in any other place at the school’s premises without another educator, teacher or teacher’s aide present at all times.
• Training requirements: Depending on the chosen delivery mode, schools and participants will need access to either a physical training space or reliable internet and working computer with camera facilities.
  • Instructor training requires submission of an online application at least 4 weeks prior to training. Successful applicants will attend a 3- or 5-day course, depending on whether they are a new, existing or re-licensing Instructor. Additional upskills to deliver Blended courses apply.
• Factors to consider: Schools will need to consider the minimum and maximum number of participants permitted in Youth MHFA courses:
  • Face-to-face or blended face-to-face delivery: 6–24 participants
  • Blended online delivery: 6–12 participants.
• Australian context: Youth MHFA was developed in Australia.

Cost

Minimum cost

$2,000+

Detailed cost

Schools can engage an external Licensed Youth MHFA Instructor to deliver courses to their staff, or train eligible staff members as a Youth MHFA Instructor to then deliver Youth MHFA courses on behalf of the school. All prices are inclusive of GST.

To engage an external instructor to deliver Youth MHFA courses:

• Face to face course: $499.20 per person.
• Blended face-to-face course: $499.20 per person.
• Blended online course: $416 per person.
• Youth MHFA Refresher Course (face-to-face): $343.20 per person.
• Youth MHFA Refresher Course (online): $343.20 per person.

To become a Licensed Youth MHFA Instructor, 2 courses are offered, a 3-day course and a 5-day course.

The 3-day course is only available to existing or re-licensing MHFA Instructors.

The 5-day course is open to anyone who wishes to apply.

Schools may choose to ‘pool’ their funding to deliver a Private Instructor Training Course for 10 or more participants, subject to terms and conditions, should public Instructor Training Courses not meet their needs.