Do you know how to apply ‘Mental Health First Aid’?

Do you know how to approach a person who suffers from depression? Do you know how to help a person who is experiencing a panic attack? Mental Health Carers ARAFMI NSW (ARAFMI NSW) is conducting mental health first aid training on a monthly basis. The next available training sessions will be held on the 10-11th November 2011.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a highly regarded 12 hour course delivered over two days which is designed to give members of the public some basic skills to identify and assist someone developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis.

Statistics show one in five Australian will experience a mental illness at some
stage of their life. Even with this high prevalence of mental illness in Australia, most of the people still do not know how to help people when they are experiencing a mental health crisis. But recovery from mental illness is very possible, especially if early intervention is applied.

‘Because this issue is heavily stigmatized in our society and the general public is still  lacks knowledge about mental illness, people tend to avoid and delay dealing with these  kinds of  issues, which may seriously worsen the situation’ said Keiran Booth, the chief executive of ARAFMI NSW.

Mental health first aid is the initial help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis, until appropriate professional treatment is received or until the crisis resolves. 

To promote ARAFMI NSW’s training services and to help make this training accessible to the public,   ARAFMI is now delivering MHFA training for members of the public and workers in the sector at $125.00 including morning tea and lunch. A reduced price is available for carers of people living with mental illness (proof of a caring role may be required) and for those with student concessions. The participants are also given a Mental Health First Aid manual and a certificate of completion. 

‘The idea is not to earn profit from this monthly event but rather by offering at an affordable price, we can have more people trained to provide mental health first aid, hence increasing the public awareness and literacy around this issue’ said Mr Booth.

So far, ARAFMI has received 100% positive feedback.

‘It filled in a lot of blanks for me and gave a simple, widely applicable plan to deal with mental health crisis’ said one participant, after attending the April’s course.

Another said ‘I now know how to help a person in a crisis. Before I was very concerned about making a situation worse’.

For more information regarding this course or to register for the up-coming mental health first aid course on the 20th  and 21st  October, please contact 02-9332 0777 or email admin@arafmi.org.

Mental Health Carers ARAFMI NSW are also able to provide a range of other mental health related courses which can be customised to the specific needs of business, community or social organisations.