Frequently Asked Questions Q1. Where can I attend an MHFA course? Q2. What is the cost of attending the 12 hour MHFA Course? Q3. Does the MHFA course teach about suicide prevention? Q4. How can this training help me in my workplace? Q5. How can MHFA help me manage my business? Q6. How will the training help me in my everyday life? Q1. Where can I attend an MHFA course?Wealden, Eastbourne & Lewes Mind runs a local program of open courses. Click here to see our current schedule We are also able to deliver "Inhouse" training anywhere in the country. For a course of 16 participants we would need you to provide: Please see our inhouse courses page or Contact us for more info Back to top Q2. What is the cost of attending the 12 hour MHFA Course?A fee of £150 - £300 per person can be expected. Subsidies are usually available on our open courses to those working or living in our area of benefit. Please see our current schedule for information on courses and available subsidies or Contact us for more info Back to top Q3: Does the MHFA course teach about suicide prevention?Suicide prevention is one of the aims of MHFA, but is not the main focus. All "talk" around suicide can help raise awareness and the tools learnt in MHFA help caregivers to identify someone that may be at risk and signpost them to approprate help; however it does not teach full intervention skills. We see MHFA as being complementary to more specialized suicide prevention training such as ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and recommend it to trainees as an additional course they can do. Please contact us for more info on ASIST or visit our website here: www.asist.org.uk/ Back to top Q4. How can this training help me in my workplace?Mental health problems affect not only the person experiencing them, but also others around them. Knock-on effects can include a fall in productivity, poor decision-making, an increase in mistakes made & sickness absence, high staff turnover and poor workplace relations. These effects can be prevented if appropriate recognition and support strategies are put in place. Knowledge of MHFA within a working environment can help prevent problems from becoming more serious. Back to top Q5. How can MHFA help me manage my business? In 2005, 35 million working days were lost to work-related ill health and injury. That's 1.5 days per worker.* UK business loses £25.9 million due to mental health sickness absence.**
Employers have a legal duty to ensure employees aren't made ill by their work. This includes taking appropriate action to prevent physical and mental illness brought about by stress. The Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) provides a "Better business checklist" for businesses to consider when planning reasonable adjustments for those covered under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) (which includes employees and customers with a mental health condition). Training staff in MHFA can help both employers and service providers meet DDA guidance, including assisting disabled people in emergency situations. *Source: Health and Safety Executive, http://www.hse.gov.uk/
**Source: National Institute for Mental Health England, http://www.nimhe.csip.org.uk/ Back to top Q6. How will the training help me in my everyday life?Just like physical first aid, MHFA is of relevance in both our private and professional lives. We think the following quote from a recent participant says it all: "I will be able to offer advice to a relative with a mental health problem which I would not have been able to do before" Back to top |
