Mental Health First Responders
Fundamentals
Workforce suicide is the leading cause of death for people up to the age of 44 – aihw.gov.au
The overall cost of mental health is the third greatest cost to healthcare following cancer and cardiovascular disease. Mental health claims are the most common and most costly claims from all Workcover claims related to illness and diseases.
Mental health disorders are experienced by around 2 in 5 people (43.7%) and 2 in 3 senior leaders (64%), yet Employee Assistance Programs average usage globally is approximately only 6% (SafeWork Australia, ABS, Bupa, ResearchGate).
- People don’t feel psychologically safe to express their mental health challenges to employers
- Workplace cultures lack trust and don’t often welcome people to express their emotions
- Workplaces don’t often have a routine means to allow people to check-in with their emotional state confidentially
- Leaders don’t often actively check-in with teams in a structured way to support mental health and wellbeing
- When support is needed people can’t easily find who can support them in a confidential, trusted, and skilled way
- Friends are most trusted, though often don’t have certified skills to support
- There is a general stigma that expressing mental health challenges is a shameful act
About the Program
The Mental Health First Responders (MHFR) program is a globally recognised certified program that has been developed using psychology and mental health principles, and is endorsed by the Mental Health Foundation Australia.
Promotion, Prevention, and Early Intervention Support reduces the impact on a person in mental health distress, and minimises the time and cost to recover back to a state of stability. Mental health distress, left undetected and unsupported, can lead to chronic mental health issues and increase the chance of risk and time for recovery.
Content Breakdown
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Day 1 - LIFT Skillsets |
Day 2 - ACT Skillsets |
Day 3 - Org. Frameworks |
|---|---|---|
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Mental Health vs Mental Illness |
Using Emotional Pulse Software |
Cost of Mental Health |
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Psychological Safety |
ACT: Personal Crisis Support |
Best Practice Mental Health Frameworks |
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Understanding Emotions |
Noticing Personal Crisis |
Self-Care & Wellbeing Plans |
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Emotional Pulse Technology |
Trust & Confidentiality |
Recognising Burnout & Conflict |
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Listening with Attention + Intention |
De-Escalating Emotions |
Planning Implementation |
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Inquiring to Discover Needs |
Assessing Risk |
Certification Process |
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Finding Ways to Support Needs |
Collaborate on a Support Plan |
Review Outcomes |
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Thank & Acknowledge |
Take Time to Check In |
- |
Who Can Use This
Leaders, Mental Health Supports, Human Resource Leaders, Chaplains, Psychologists, Emergency Responders, Parents, Teachers, Care Workers, Social Workers, First Aiders.
What's the Difference Between MHFR & MHFA
While both programs are certified and endorsed by the Mental Health Foundation Australia, there are some key differences. Mental Health First Responder (MHFR) training is more focused on Promotion, Prevention & Early Intervention Support, creating skill sets for people to support mental health distress, and equipping them with the resources required to establish effective mental health frameworks in workplaces; whereas Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is focused on understanding the different types of mental health issues and connecting to professional support services in times of crisis.
For more information about the MHFA course, find the next available program below.
| Aspect | Mental Health First Responder | Mental Health First Aid |
|---|---|---|
|
Approach |
Universal way of Mental Health Promotion and Prevention based on identified sources of mental and emotional strain |
A particular method of Mental Health Intervention based on observable Mental Health Challenges |
|
Process |
LIFT + ACT – focus Promotion, Prevention, and Early Intervention |
ALGEE – focus on Crisis Intervention & Professional Support |
|
Skills Imparted |
Identifies distress, provides immediate emotional support & referrals as required |
Identifies Mental Health Challenges and refers to qualified support |
|
Duration |
1.5 days (3 x 3hrs = 9hrs) |
2 days (3 x 4hrs = 12hrs) |
|
Content Overview |
Interpersonal harm, psychological safety listening, crisis intervention skills, implementing mental health frameworks in organisations |
Mental health problems and crisis situations are covered in detail |
|
Content Detail |
Interpersonal harm covered:
Skills covered:
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Mental health problems covered:
Mental health crises covered:
|
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Evidence Indicates |
Good for supporting those in emotional distress and improving organisational culture and management of mental health at work |
Good for raising awareness and understanding the different types of mental health challenges |
|
Resources Included |
Certified Training Program, Online Resources, Handbook, Technology, Support Community, Workplace Resources for Implementation and Training Teams |
Certified Training Program, Online Resources, Handbook |
MHFR Program Options
| | Discovery Package | Full Certified Practitioner |
|---|---|---|
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Community Workshop Ticket |
✓ |
✓ |
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Emotional Pulse App - Free Access |
✓ |
✓ |
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LIFT Training Skillset |
✓ |
✓ |
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Globally Recognised Certification |
|
✓ |
|
MHFR Digital Handbook |
|
✓ |
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1-on-1 Coaching Session to Integrate Skillsets |
|
✓ |
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Team Emotional Pulse Credit |
|
✓ |
|
Online Assessment |
|
✓ |
|
Digital Content to Run Your Own Workshop |
|
✓ |
Framework Overview
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|---|---|
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Clarity & Direction |
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Educate & Skills Development |
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Technology Activation |
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Establish Holistic Support Framework |
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Mental Health & Wellbeing Insights |
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Confidentiality – Emotional Pulse technology meets confidentiality requirements. People on Emotional Pulse technology have full control over who and when they choose to share their emotional trends with others.
ISO Standards – The framework used by ShareTree meets ISO45003 standard for psychological health & safety at work.
See when we will next run our Mental Health First Responders program on our events page. Funding programs are also available for the Mental Health First Responders program. See funding options by opening the link below.
The information on this page can also be downloaded as PDFs below
