Youth Mental Health First Aid is training for those working or living with young people focusing on how to assist adolescents who are developing a mental health problem, experiencing worsening of a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis.
Due to staffing limitations, we are currently not taking booking requests for Youth Mental Health First Aid.
Description
A part of our Youth Health and Wellbeing Programs, the Youth MHFA course is based on guidelines developed through the expert consensus of people with lived experience of mental health problems and professionals.
The course equips adults with the skills to recognise and respond to an adolescent who may be experiencing a mental health problem or crisis situation.
Using a practical, evidence-based action plan, Youth MHFA teaches participants how to support an adolescent until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves.
Aim
Using the Mental Health First Aid Action Plan, participants learn how to approach a young person that they are concerned about and how to initiate a conversation about those concerns.
Participants also learn how to offer initial support and information and how to encourage a young person to get professional help or other supports.
Outcomes
- Recognise warning signs of mental health problems in young people.
- Increase skills to speak openly and accurately about youth mental health.
- Increase skills to respond to youth mental health crisis situations.
- Reduce stigma and increase support for young people with mental health problems.
Target group
- Secondary school staff
- Community organisations who support young people
Session details
- In person: two 7-hour sessions, location to be confirmed with registration.
- Wednesday 30 April & Thursday 1 May
- Tuesday 24 June & Wednesday 25 June
- Tuesday 9 September & Wednesday 10 September
- Tuesday 14 October & Wednesday 15 October
Cost
Participants are required to purchase Youth Mental Health First Aid Manuals for $18.50 including GST.
Evaluation
Digital evaluation provided to each participant.
Linked programs
Additional course information can be found at Youth Mental Health First Aid.
Bookings
In preparation for 2025, we have identified a list of priority schools for our youth community development programs and the team is in the process of contacting them. The priority schools have been identified using the City of Greater Geelong’s Social Equity Framework
(viewable here) and / or where they have had little to no engagement with our team over the past three years. Our aim is to ensure we are working equitably across The City to deliver high quality health and well-being programs to young people at schools that have previously not had access to our services.
Once we have assessed demand for our programs from our priority schools and inline with our capacity, we encourage expression of interests from additional schools for our programs.
Please email
[email protected] to enquire about our programs. We will endeavour to have all our programs filled by early term 1 2025.