MHFA Basic is intended for adults interacting with adults (18 years and older). This course focuses on the four most common mental health disorders including:

- substance related

- mood related

- anxiety and trauma related

- psychotic disorders

Participants who take this course are well prepared to interact confidently about mental health with their family, friends, communities, and workplaces.

In the MHFA course, you will gain a solid understanding of the 5 basic actions of ALGEE:

Assess the risk of suicide and/or harm

Listen non-judgmentally

Give reassurance

Encourage professional support

Encourage other supports

ALGEE is the framework for having a confident conversation about mental health with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers.

Key outcomes

International evaluations and feedback have found the following outcomes for participants undertaking a MHFA course:

Increased awareness of signs and symptoms of the most common mental health problems

Decreased stigma related to mental health

Increased confidence interacting with individuals experiencing a mental health problem or crisis

Increased help actually provided to individuals in crisis or experiencing a mental health problem

Crisis first aid skills learned:

- Substance overdose

- Suicidal behaviour

- Panic attack

- Acute stress reaction

- Psychotic episode