MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
Everyone’s talking about the mental health crisis,
but what can YOU do?
TAKE THE COURSE
The summer schedule opens soon! Contact us to reserve your spot or book a private group session.
Are you a young professional trying to navigate the world of work and balance your mental health at the same time?
Are you in the Canadian music industry facing unique challenges making it difficult to find mental health and well-being?
Are you a business leader concerned about your team’s mental health and well-being and want to turn words into actions?
Did you know...
In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental illness or addiction problem.
By the time Canadians reach 40, 1 in 2 have or have had a mental illness.
A growing body of evidence demonstrates that promotion, prevention, and early intervention initiatives show positive returns on investment.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 2021
And...
Research shows the prevalence of mental illness is 2-3 times higher in the music industry.
Music industry professionals know it’s challenging to find balance.
Your work environment means erratic sleep, poor nutrition, unhealthy substance use, and a topsy-turvy lifestyle.
There is an expectation of always being ” on “ and not suffering the consequences.
The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Course
Reduce Stigma
Reduce the social distance between yourself and someone experiencing a mental health problem.
Increase Awareness
Increase your awareness of signs and symptoms of the most common mental health problems.
Boost Confidence
Boost your confidence in engaging someone experiencing a mental health problem or crisis.
MHFA training can help you:
- Increase your knowledge of mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, substance use, and psychotic episodes).
- Give you greater confidence and hands-on experience to assist someone with a mental illness.
- Trains you on how to respond to someone who may be experiencing these conditions using set action plans and crisis intervention strategies.
- Decrease the stigmatized attitudes.
- Improve the mental health of participants.
MHFA is a certified training program from the Mental Health Commission of Canada and part of The National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.
The summer schedule opens soon! Contact us to reserve your spot or book a private group session.
Course Details
Course participants will learn how to recognize signs that a person may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health
crisis and encourage that person to:
- Talk about declines in their mental well-being
- Discuss professional and other supports that could help with recovery to improve mental well-being
- Reach out to these supports
- Assist in a mental health or substance use crisis
- Use MHFA actions (A.L.G.E.E.S.) to maintain one’s own mental well-being.
Pricing
$225 (+HST)
Tax deductible for self-employed Canadians.
Group discounts available.
Module 1 (2 hrs)
Self-Directed
- Introduction to the course
- Introduction to MHFA actions (A.L.G.E.E.S.)
Module 2 (3.5 hrs)
Virtual Classroom
- Practice applying A.L.G.E.E.S. to situations of declining mental well-being.
- Guidelines for MHFA conversations with people from diverse cultures and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community
Module 3 (3.5 hrs)
Virtual Classroom
- Discussion on using A.L.G.E.E.S. for self-care
- Practice using MHFA actions in crises. Mental Health Crisis vs. Mental Health Emergency.
A.L.G.E.E.S. = Assess (for risk of suicide or harm) Listen (non-judgmentally)
Give (information and encouragement) Encourage (for professional help) Encourage (for self-help or other support)
We combine expertise and experience in the music industry, mindfulness, and neuropsychology to bring you a practical program you can complete from home. You will feel more confident dealing with your own mental health and supporting those around you.
Anyone over 18 can take MHFA training. No prior training or knowledge of mental health is mandatory. If you have a family member, friend or colleague experiencing a mental illness, this course will give you hands-on experience assisting them.
Certified M.H.F.A. Facilitator, Liz VandenBygaart
“I have been a personal and professional advocate of healthy living for over 35 years. I couple my experience with an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and professional training to support others in reaching optimal mental health. I actively leverage my wellness expertise and mental health advocacy experience to contribute to the peer support community, emphasizing psychological safety, inclusion, and social responsibility. I believe in holistic health and well-being, including physical, emotional, psychological, and social fitness.”
More Course Details
The course addresses the most common and most stigmatized mental health disorders and includes signs/symptoms, risk factors, and crisis first aid for specific situations:
- Substance-Related Disorders
- Crisis First Aid for Overdose
- Mood-Related Disorders
- Crisis First Aid for Suicidal Behaviour
- Anxiety and Trauma-related Disorders
- Crisis First Aid for Panic Attack
- Crisis First Aid for Acute Stress Reaction
- Psychotic Disorders
- Crisis First Aid for Psychotic Episode
The MHFA course does not teach people how to be therapists. It does teach people how to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health problems; provide initial help and guide a person toward appropriate professional help.
Just as CPR training helps individuals with no clinical training assist an individual following a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid training helps individuals assist someone experiencing a mental health crisis, such as suicidal behaviour. In both situations, the goal is to help support an individual until appropriate professional help is identified.
Individuals with Mental Health First Aid certification learn a single action plan that includes assessing risk, respectfully listening to and supporting the individual in crisis, and identifying appropriate professional help and other supports that can be applied in many situations. Participants are also introduced to risk factors and warning signs for mental health problems. These build their understanding of the impact of illness on individuals and families and allow them to learn about evidence-supported treatment and self-help strategies.
An important component of Mental Health First Aid training is the opportunity to practice the intervention strategy rather than to just learn about it. This simple experience can make it easier to apply the knowledge in a real-life situation. In addition to crisis interventions, participants learn how to have confident and effective conversations about mental health, regardless of whether someone is in crisis or not. This includes recognizing the signs and symptoms of declining mental well-being or noticing a change in someone’s behaviour and starting a conversation with that person.
The summer schedule opens soon! Contact us to reserve your spot or book a private group session.