Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can you please tell me where there is a MHFA Instructor running courses in my area?
Q2. What is the cost of attending the 12 hour MHFA Course?
Q3. Please tell me about the CALD versions of the MHFA Program.
Q4. Does the MHFA course teach about suicide prevention?
Q5. Are there differences between Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Psychological First Aid?
Q7. Where can I get the MHFA DEWR elearning CD from?
Q9. Does the MHFA course teach about borderline personality disorders?
Q10. Is there a MHFA course developed or adapted for people working with older persons?
Q1. Can you please tell me where there is a MHFA Instructor running courses in my area?
The instructors names, contact details and locations are listed on our Mental Health First Aid Website www.mhfa.com.au under 'Instructors List' http://www.mhfa.com.au/instructors.htm
Having an 'almost local' instructor will help to limit the costs of travel to and from the instructor's home base. A desirable course size is up to 20 people with one instructor. The MHFA Program at the University of Melbourne does not employ the MHFA Instructors and therefore each MHFA Instructor has autonomy and flexibility to set their fees. We recommend modest fees on a sliding scale. However, Instructors need to be able to cover their costs. Some Instructors teach the MHFA course as part of their paid employment, and thus have a salary whilst teaching. Others conduct the MHFA course as a private business. Fees can be reduced if any of the following items are provided for the Instructors:
- the venue
- tea and coffee
- equipment (VCR & TV, whiteboard, overhead projector (or data projector and laptop)
A fee of $100-$300 per person could be expected.
Please contact one of our instructors after looking at the website again. Each instructor listing has a brief Instructor profile, which you can access by clicking on their name. If you have difficulties locating an available instructor we will see what we can do to assist.
Q2. What is the cost of attending the 12 hour MHFA Course?
The MHFA Program at the University of Melbourne, ORYGEN Research Centre does not employ the MHFA Instructors that it trains and accredits and therefore each MHFA Instructor has autonomy & flexibility to set their fees. We recommend modest fees, on a sliding scale. However, Instructors need to be able to cover their costs. Some Instructors teach the MHFA course as part of their paid employment, and thus have a salary whilst teaching. Others conduct the MHFA course as a private business.
Fees can be reduced, if any of the following items are provided by your office :
- the venue
- tea and coffee
- equipment (VCR & TV, whiteboard, overhead projector (or data projector and laptop)
A fee of $100 - $300 per person could be expected.
Q3. Please tell me about the CALD versions of the MHFA Program.
In 2001, a MHFA course was developed to teach adult community members how to give initial help to other adults developing mental health problems. This course was adapted in 2005 into 3 courses for Croatian, Vietnamese or Italian adults living in Australia. The MHFA manual and 12-hr MHFA course materials were culturally modified and translated into the respective languages of the three communities. During 2008 the MHFA Team will work with members of the African community in Melbourne with a view to modifying the course for African communities in Australia.
- How is the generic course modified e.g. content, style of presentation?
The main modifications to MHFA courses for CALD communities has been to make the course sensitive to the beliefs and views of the different cultures whilst keeping the course format similar to the generic MHFA course.
- Accreditation processes to be able to deliver CALD courses?
CALD instructors need to meet the regular criteria for MHFA instructor training (criteria can be downloaded at this URL: http://www.mhfa.com.au/documents/Adult_MHFA_5day_Instructor_application_010108.doc), be of Croatian, Vietnamese or Italian descent and fluent in Croatian, Vietnamese or Italian as well as English. The MHFA Instructors who teach the CALD MHFA courses are either trained mental health professionals e.g. psychologists, social workers, or carers with extensive experience in mental health. A copy of the Vietnamese MHFA Instructor application form is available at http://www.mhfa.com.au/documents/Vietnamese_application_010108.doc
- Is any of the material available to all accredited MHFA instructors?
No - all the material is translated.
- What is the process to modify a course for specific groups?
Q4. Does the MHFA course teach about suicide prevention?
Suicide prevention is one of the aims of MHFA, but is not the main focus. We see MHFA as being complementary to more specialized suicide prevention training such as ASIST and recommend it to trainees as an additional course they can do.
http://www.livingworks.org.au/pages/asist.php
Q5. Are there differences between Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Psychological First Aid?
The main differences between MHFA and Psychological First Aid (PSA) as follows:
1. MHFA has a broader focus. We have defined it as follows: “Mental health first aid is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate professional treatment is received or until the crisis resolves “. Thus, it includes the full range of developing mental disorders and associated crises. PSA is usually solely focused on response to disasters. 2. MHFA does give some training in how to respond to a person who has experienced a traumatic event. However, this training is much less detailed than in Psychological First Aid.3. In Australia Psychological First Aid is often given by people with some specialist mental health training. MHFA training is designed for non health professionals. The first aider’s role stops once appropriate professional help is reached.
Q6. Has the MHFA course been mapped in NTIS? It would be good to offer an accredited statement of attainment?
No, the 12-hour Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course has not been mapped in NTIS.
We are currently undergoing an extensive process to develop National MHFA Standards to be governed by the Mental Health Council of Australia. This will be similar to the way National First Aid Standards (which are used to develop and update Red Cross, St Johns Ambulance etc First Aid Courses) are held by the Australian Resuscitation Council. We anticipate the MHFA Standards to be ready by the end of 2007. The MHFA course will then be accredited to these standards.
I understand that a few TAFE institutions (Coffs Harbour, Albury and Canberra) have made the 12-hour MHFA course eligible as recognised prior learning for the Cert IV in Mental Health (non-clinical).
Please do not hesitate to ask any other questions about the MHFA Training and Research Program.
Q7. Where can I get the MHFA DEWR elearning CD from?
You can get this CD free from DEWR for individual use, but you can not copy it into another form, e.g. put it on a server. To obtain a free copy of the cd you need to contact JobAccess Advisers on 1800 464 800 or visit their website:
http://www.jobaccess.gov.au/joac/Coworkers/Understanding+disabilities/MentalHealthFirstAid.htm
The MHFA Program will be developing an enhanced version for sale next year. This will have major improvements and not be specific to workplaces.
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Q8. Please tell me more about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA) course.
The AMHFA course is a 14-hour course developed in close consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The course is divided into 6 modules. Course delivery is flexible according to community and workplace needs. The course provides information on social and emotional wellbeing, loss & grief and mental health issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It teaches first aid skills for assisting community members with the following mental illnesses and mental health crisis situations - depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, substance use disorders, suicidal thinking and behaviour, panic attacks and a person who is psychotic and appears threatening. The course provides information on how and where to seek culturally appropriate mental health and counselling services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The course is delivered by accredited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA Instructors as well as non-Aboriginal instructors with extensive experience in Aboriginal communities and special training in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid.
Q9. Does the MHFA course teach about borderline personality disorders?
The label of "borderline personality disorder" is usually not mentioned in the standard (Adult) MHFA course except in passing. The MHFA team believes that this is not a label that first aiders should be encouraged to use. It is a highly stigmatized term which may not assist people to be well treated by others. It is better to stick to presenting problems rather than use any “personality disorder” labels in a first aid context.
We really don't know what to teach in the MHFA course about first aid for personality disorders (PD). There is such a dearth of evidence of what helps PD even at the clinical / therapeutic level. There is no evidence-based information in the literature about what helps at the first aid level.
The new Youth MHFA manual and course (2007) has a chapter on self-harm. Eventually, this is likely to be extended to the standard (Adult) MHFA course.
We are waiting for the completion of a series of our research projects to develop MHFA National Guidelines which will be used to completely revise the course. One of these is on deliberate self-injury.
A source of information on personality disorders can be found at the following website from SPECTRUM (Spectrum is the Personality Disorders Service for Victoria): http://www.spectrumbpd.com.au/
Q10 Is there a MHFA course developed or adapted for people working with older persons?
The current MHFA courses include a 12-hour Adult MHFA course, a 14 hour Youth MHFA course for people working with youth, and a 14 hour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA course. The MHFA course has not been adapted for older persons. We do not have any current plans to adapt the MHFA course for older persons. However, we do have accredited MHFA instructors from Older Persons Mental Health backgrounds who conduct the adult MHFA course for staff working with older persons. The instructors use their clinical knowledge and understanding of mental health issues in the aged when presenting the course.