Frequently asked questions

We offer a range of Mental Health First Aid England® training courses that are designed for everyone. Through these courses we discuss how we all have mental health, like physical health, and we teach people to look after their own and others’ wellbeing. 

Our MHFAider® courses: 

• Encourage people to challenge the language we use around mental health 

• Explore our different frames of reference and the stigma attached to mental health 

• Help people to understand what good mental health looks like 

• Explore the factors that can have an impact on our mental health 

• Look at how to support yourself and others with self-care, giving the skills to influence your own mental health and help prevent mental ill health 

• Teach how to intervene (including in a crisis), reassure and signpost to further support 

• Teach about diagnosable mental health conditions, what unwell looks like and how to spot these signs in yourself and others 

• Talk about what to do if you think someone is unwell and the steps to take for early intervention 

• Talk about recovery from mental illness and looking forward 

MHFA England courses are for everyone! The courses are designed so that you don’t need existing knowledge of mental health. We would recommend MHFA England training for anyone – just as it’s a good idea for people to have basic knowledge of physical first aid. 

We believe MHFA England training works as one part of a joined up mental healthcare system. Each of the courses are based on research and developed by mental health experts alongside people with lived experience of mental ill health. Research and evaluation have repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of MHFA training in England and worldwide. 

To learn more visit MHFA’s Research and evaluation page. You can also read about the impact of training across a range of organisations in their case studies. 

We offer a range of course lengths and depths of learning to suit your needs. You can book as an individual, or if you are looking to train eight people or more in your organisation, we can discuss a private course depending on your requirements. 

If you would like to book a place please contact Louisa.Mace@guernseymind.org.gg 

The money you pay to attend a course covers the cost of the venue hire, refreshments, lunch (on the 2-day course) and all course materials. 

Every course you book allows Guernsey Mind to support the mental health of the Bailiwick. Not only through our training but our support services and peer support groups. It also goes into making sure MHFAEngland® can keep content up to date, producing materials, and creating new courses to reach more people. 

We strive to provide courses and resources that everyone can access. When you book onto a course please let us know your requirements and we will endeavour to meet these where possible. 

You need to complete all parts of the course to receive a certificate of attendance. All parts of the course are equally important to learn a safe grounding in Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®) skills. 

The courses are not currently CPD verified, however you will receive a certificate to say you are a: 

• Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®) 

• Mental Health Champion 

Once you have completed the 2-day course, you will be expected to uphold the values of MHFA, which include being approachable, impartial, non-judgmental, empathetic, trustworthy, patient, and a skilled listener. You will also contribute to reducing stigma and promoting positive mental health and well-being. In addition, you will be expected to recognize the warning signs of poor mental health and provide confidential, non-judgmental emotional support. You may need to signpost colleagues to internal and external support options where necessary and assess the risk of crises, offering assistance as appropriate. It will be important to liaise with and report all safeguarding concerns to the Safeguarding Lead and/or HR, while also maintaining personal and professional boundaries. Supporting fellow MHFAs when needed and attending training and regular meetings, where possible, around your work commitments are also key responsibilities. 

Your MHFA England training is valid for three years. We recommend that MHFAiders® attend an MHFA Refresher <hyperlink to the course info> course every three years to renew your skills, update your knowledge of mental health supports, and practice applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan. 

As part of our vision to improve the mental health of the nation, we are now accepting other Level 3 qualifications from other providers as entry points for our courses. This includes: 

• FutureQuals Level 3 Award in Mental Health: Workplace First Aider 

• FAA Level 3 Award in Supervising First Aid for Mental Health (RQF) 

Once your instructor has marked you as having completed the course, you’ll receive an email asking for feedback on the course. When you have either left feedback or chosen to opt out, an email with attached certificate will be sent. It’s worth checking your spam/junk folder in case it has ended up in there by mistake. 

If you still haven’t received it, email on info@mhfaengland.org. To help us track it down, please let us know: 

• The date you took the course 

• The location of the course 

• What type of course it was 

• The name of the Instructor Member (if you know it) 

The best way to do this is contact MHFAEngland® by email info@mhfaengland.org. Let them know: 

• The date you took the course 

• The location of the course 

• What type of course it was 

• The name of the Instructor Member (if you know it) 

• What needs to be corrected (if applicable) 

There’s plenty you can do to raise awareness of mental health in the community! Follow Guernsey Mind on social media to keep updated with our campaigns throughout the year such as World Mental Health Day, Time to Talk Day and Mental Health Awareness Week. 

Check out our selection of free resources to download at Resources where you’ll find posters, infographics, and tips for mental health and wellbeing at work, at school, and in the community. 

Follow them on social media and ensure you sign up to their newsletter for the latest information. 

As the idea of Mental Health First Aid becomes more popular, some other training providers are starting to offer unlicensed ‘mental health first aid’ or ‘first aid for mental health’ training. We would advise caution when choosing a training provider, as the quality and safety of courses provided by other training providers cannot be guaranteed. 

The cost of an MHFA England course reflects the quality of teaching, materials and support that you will receive as part of your experience. Cheaper, unlicensed training is unlikely to have the evidence base or quality that is associated with MHFA England training programmes, which have been running for over ten years and are part of a global programme active in 24 countries. 

For safety reasons, MHFA England manuals are only given out on courses and can’t be ordered separately. The guidance and training provided by the course instructor will give people the understanding and skills to use the resources in the manual safely and appropriately.