This course was formerly the two-day Adult Mental Health First Aid course and has been adapted to be delivered virtually by Mental Health First Aid England. Please see below for the session details.

Please read the following information carefully.

What is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)?

Mental Health First Aid is a training course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.

The course won’t teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – potentially allowing you to stop a crisis from happening. You’ll learn to recognise warning signs of mental ill health and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone while keeping yourself safe. You’ll also learn how to empower someone to access the support they might need for recovery or successful management of symptoms. This could include the use of self-help books or websites, accessing therapy services through their GP, their school or place of work, online self-referral and participation in support groups.

What’s more, you’ll gain an understanding of how to support positive wellbeing and tackle stigma in the world around you.

This course will be a blend of self-learning activities and live interactive sessions with the trainer and other course participants. The total learning time is approximately 16 hours.

What will I learn on an MHFA course?

As an MHFAider you will be able to:

Recognise those 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

Know how to access ongoing learning opportunities with MHFA England

In addition to the course, you will become part of the largest dedicated community of Mental Health First Aiders in England - the Association of Mental Health First Aiders - giving you access to resources, ongoing learning, and 24/7 digital support, as well as equipping you with the tools and knowledge you need to carry out the role effectively and confidently, whether that be in your workplace, as a volunteer, or in the community.

Live Sessions:

The Adult MHFA consists of four live sessions with a qualified course instructor as follows:

Session 1: Tuesday 9th September 2025, 1pm - 5pm

Session 2: Tuesday 16th September 2025, 1pm - 5pm

Session 3: Tuesday 23rd September 2025, 1pm - 5pm

Session 4: Tuesday 30th September 2025, 1pm - 5pm

You will need to attend all four live sessions for the full duration to complete the course. There will not be an opportunity to catch up on anything that has been missed.

We hope you enjoy the course!

Contact:

If you have any questions about this course, or have booked a ticket and can no longer attend, please contact the West Sussex Mind training team by emailing training@westsussexmind.org

Sussex Training Hub - Adult Mental Health First Aid (Online)