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Mental health first aid training

These training courses teach you how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.


If a place is available you will receive an email from the training provider Derbyshire Adult Community Education (DACES). This includes joining instructions, and a link for you to register with MHFA England.

DACES are delivering the training but you must also register with MHFA England via the provided link to access a training place and for the course resources to be sent to you.

Mental health first aid - adult

This training course teaches individuals how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.

This course is suitable for individuals whose role may include provision of support to adults who may have emotional distress, be at higher risk of mental health difficulties, or who have experience of mental health problems.

It's delivered as both a face-to-face and virtual (online interactive) course. The face-to-face course is 2 days long. The virtual course is generally delivered over 4 shorter sessions on different days. All sessions must be attended to complete the course.

Participants must be over 18 to attend.

Virtual mental health first aid - adult course dates

The deadline for booking onto the following course is 23 April 2024:

The deadline for booking onto the following course is 19 March 2024:

  • 4 live sessions: 9 April 2024 (morning), 11 April 2024 (morning), 16 April 2024 (morning) and 18 April 2024 (morning) - fully booked

The deadline for booking onto the following course is 6 March 2024:

  • 2 live sessions: 27 March 2024 (all day) and 28 March 2024 (all day) - fully booked

Face-to-face mental health first aid - adult course dates

The deadline for booking onto the following course is 22 February 2024:

  • 2 sessions at Ashbourne: 14 March 2024 (all day) and 21 March 2024 (all day) - fully booked

Mental health first aid - youth

This course teaches the skills and confidence to help spot the signs of mental health issues in a young person, offer first aid and guide them towards the support they need.

Learning takes place across 4 topics:

  • youth mental health first aid
  • depression and anxiety
  • suicide and psychosis
  • self-harm and eating disorders

It's delivered as both a face-to-face and virtual (online interactive) course. The face-to-face course is 2 days long. The virtual course is generally delivered over 4 shorter sessions on different days with self-learning required prior to its start and in between each session. All sessions must be attended to complete the course.

Mental health first aid youth courses are for individuals who work with or support young people aged 8 to 18. Participants must be over 18 to attend.

Virtual mental health first aid - youth course dates

The deadline for booking onto the following course is 23 April 2024:

The deadline for booking onto the following course is 12 April 2024:

Face-to-face mental health first aid - youth course dates

The deadline for booking onto the following course is 14 February 2024:

  • 4 sessions at Chesterfield: 6 March 2024 (all day) and 13 March 2024 (all day) - fully booked

The deadline for booking onto the following course is 8 April 2024:

Mental health first aid refresher course

This 4-hour course is designed to refresh your knowledge and confidence as an adult mental health first aider who has completed the mental health first aid adult course 3 or more years ago. However, anyone who has completed the mental health first aid youth course 3 or more years ago is also welcome to attend.

Participants must be over 18 to attend and have previously qualified as a mental health first aider.

Virtual mental health first aid refresher course dates

The deadline for booking onto the following course is 1 February 2024:

  • 1 live session: 21 February 2024 (morning) - registration ended

Face-to-face mental health first aid refresher course dates

This course is currently unavailable.