England’s first and only membership body for mental health first aiders launches today

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England is launching The Association of Mental Health First Aiders today, the first membership body of its kind. 

Training to become a mental health first aider helps people develop skills to support those going through difficulties, offering in-the-moment care and signposting to professional support where needed. The hope is that mental health first aid will be seen as just as necessary as medical first aid, especially in the workplace. 

There are currently 1.9 million people waiting to access mental health services in England and suicide rates are rising. These statistics highlight the desperate need for change and the Association hopes to redefine the landscape of workplace mental health support. 

The Association will support members long after they complete their mental health first aid training and offer exclusive access to resources such as research, events, and further training and qualifications.

“Building mental health literacy has always been central to our training.” Explains Sarah McIntosh, Managing Director of the Association of Mental Health First Aiders.

“The Association is the next stage of empowering a growing community of Mental Health First Aiders to tackle stigma and lead transformative change in our workplaces and beyond.

“The Association of Mental Health First Aiders offers a pioneering, human response to the pressing mental health issues we face as a society. Its launch represents a huge step forward in mental health support, one that prioritises prevention, early intervention, and support.” 

According to research carried out by MHFA England, 94% of MHFAiders feel they are challenging the stigma around mental health and 91% believe they are transforming the way society discusses mental health. In terms of utilising their skills, 54% say they use them more than once a week and a further 29% use them at least once a month. There are over 300,000 MHFA England trained MHFAiders in England, leading to thousands of conversations supporting mental health every day. 

Sharing her experience of using MHFAider skills, Sophie Bradfield, policy officer for her local council explains how she supported someone experiencing a psychotic episode.

“One of the things that stuck in my mind from the MHFA training was not to challenge someone’s delusions or go along with them but acknowledge their feelings showing empathy and kindness. A person experiencing a psychotic episode can behave in ways totally out of character which can be distressing particularly to those that know them. It's important to remember that they’re not experiencing the same reality as you and what they are going through is very scary for them too. Kindness, calmness, and empathy are so important.  

“We managed to de-escalate the situation and I’m pleased to say the person was given the professional help that they needed. They were in a very volatile state, and I fear had I not been there as a MHFAider, the situation would have gotten out of control. Not because the other people present were unkind or unfeeling, but because they didn’t know the signs that someone might be mentally unwell or how to speak to someone experiencing what I recognised as psychosis.   

“After the incident, I was also able to offer support to colleagues who witnessed the event. They were understandably upset and scared, so to be able to explain calmly what that person might have been going through was very helpful to them.

“We talk all the time about breaking down the stigma around mental health. I think we’ve come on leaps and bounds since the pandemic, but I think there’s still a way to go. Having training and people sharing their experiences of mental health conditions is paramount to improving our collective understanding.” 

Another organisation that has benefitted from MHFA England training is the foodbank network, the Trussell Trust. Samantha Stapley, Chief Operating and People Officer at the Trussell Trust notes that 52% of people referred to them with a disability have a mental health condition and that one in four haven’t been in contact with friends or family members in the last month, “This means that every day, staff and volunteers across the Trussell Trust network are meeting people who are isolated and facing crisis.” Samantha explains.

“It is vital that the people who come to us for help can be supported by people who are able to provide them with the mental health first aid that they may need. This is why the training of staff at the Trussell Trust and in food banks across the UK has been crucial for our work. It allows us to provide an enhanced service to the people who need to access a food bank.

“The training received has equipped staff and volunteers within the Trussell Trust network with the tools to have the life-changing conversations needed to ensure that people visiting food banks don’t feel alone in their struggles. We look forward to increasing our Mental Health First Aider capacity in the coming years.”

Soon those who have completed the MHFA course or the MHFA refresher in the last three years will be invited to join the Association and become of the MHFA England community. The refresher course has been updated and is launching today alongside the Association. MHFA England recommends the refresher course be taken every three years to ensure skills stay sharp and up-to-date, so taking the course every three years will be a requirement of membership.

Learn more about becoming a MHFAider at MHFA England, and visit aomhfa.org to learn more about the Association.