Our Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aider courses are delivered as either a face-to-face or virtual (online interactive) course. The face-to-face course is 2 days long. The virtual course is delivered over 2 days or 4 shorter sessions on different days. All sessions must be attended to complete the course.
What you will get
Everyone who completes the MHFA England Adult or Youth Mental Health First Aider 2-day course gets:
- a copy of the workbook to support their learning throughout the course
- a digital manual to refer to whenever they need it after completing the course
- a wallet-sized reference card with the Mental Health First Aid action plan or Youth MHFA action plan (ALGEE®)
- a digital MHFAider certificate
- the opportunity to join the Association of Mental Health First Aiders with access to exclusive benefits
Association of Mental Health First Aiders support and benefits package
Once you have trained as a MHFA England Mental Health First Aider you are certified for 3 years. MHFAiders are invited to become members of MHFA England's Association of Mental Health First Aiders, with exclusive access to a wide range of resources and learning opportunities.
This includes:
- the MHFAider Support App
- access to the MHFA England Online Learning Hub
- first-hand insights
- ongoing learning
- monthly newsletters
Your MHFAider support and benefits package runs for 3 years and is activated once you have attended the last day of your course. Completion of the refresher course will renew this support for a further 3 years.
MHFA England recommend that MHFAiders take the MHFA Refresher course every 3 years to ensure mental health knowledge, awareness, and skills are up-to-date. The refresher must be done within 6 months of the 3-year renewal date.
Adult Mental Health First Aid
This 2-day training course is ideal for anyone who would like to gain the knowledge and skills to spot the signs of someone experiencing poor mental health, to be confident to start a conversation with them, and to signpost them to appropriate support.
This course is suitable in particular for individuals whose role may include providing support to adults who may have emotional distress, who may be at higher risk of mental health difficulties, or who have experience of mental health issues.
Learning outcomes
As an MHFA England MHFAider you'll be able to:
- recognise adults that may be experiencing poor mental health and provide them with first-level support and early intervention
- encourage a person to identify and access sources of professional help and other support
- practise active listening and empathy
- have a conversation with improved mental health literacy around language and stigma
- discuss the MHFAider role in depth, including boundaries and confidentiality
- practise self-care
- know how to use the MHFAider Support App®
- know how to access a dedicated text service provided by Shout and ongoing learning opportunities with MHFA England
Virtual Adult Mental Health First Aid course dates
The deadline for booking onto the following course is 30 June 2026:
- 2 live sessions on 21 (all day) and 28 July 2026 (all day) - fully booked
The deadline for booking onto the following course is 17 August 2026:
Face-to-face Adult Mental Health First Aid course dates
The deadline for booking onto the following course is 4 August 2026:
Youth Mental Health First Aid
This 2-day course is ideal for anyone who lives with, works with or supports young people aged 8 to 18. The course gives knowledge, awareness, and skills to spot the signs of a young person experiencing poor mental health, the confidence to start a conversation, and the tools to safeguard them and signpost them to appropriate support.
Learning outcomes
Youth Mental Health First Aiders (Youth MHFAiders) will be able to:
- explain what mental health is
- describe how to look after their own mental health and wellbeing
- describe the signs of poor mental health in young people
- explain some of the risk factors associated with poor mental health in young people
- demonstrate how to apply the Youth MHFA action plan (ALGEE®) in a Youth Mental Health First Aid conversation
- describe the role of a Youth MHFAider
- know how to use the MHFAider Support App
- know how to access a dedicated text service provided by Shout and ongoing learning opportunities with MHFA England
Virtual Youth Mental Health First Aid course dates
The deadline for booking onto the following course is 12 May 2026:
- 2 sessions on 2 (all day) and 3 June 2026 (all day) - fully booked
Face-to-face Youth Mental Health First Aid course dates
No dates are currently available.