10 October 2025: Leading Australian health promotion charity Mental Health First Aid International (MHFAI) aims to strengthen and expand its national network of community mental health responders to half a million by 2027.
The announcement follows a $2.6 million, two-year funding injection from the Australian Government’s National Suicide Prevention Leadership and Support Program (NSPLSP).
MHFAI CEO Angus Clelland welcomed the funding extension, saying the continued investment is an endorsement of the organisation’s evidence-based training model and impact.
“This investment will ensure the continuation of our successful ‘Make Every Conversation Matter’ campaign and other initiatives engaging our 270,000-strong MHFA community,” he said.
“We are thrilled to continue supporting our trained community and promote our evidence-based programs to reach more Australians, providing everyday people with key skills to intervene early when someone is in distress and connect them to safety and support.”
“Our focus on ‘Making Every Conversation Matter’ is not only to raise awareness that anyone can learn these skills, but also to continue to support those trained, ensuring they are ready and equipped to have those conversations when it matters most.”
As part of this year’s Make Every Conversation Matter campaign, the health promotion charity launched the first-ever MHFA Day in August, a national day of action that reached more than 2 million Australians.
This month, the campaign continues to raise awareness, launching today on World Mental Health Day, including a renewed commitment to grow its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA Program.
Over the next two years, MHFAI will call on its network of more than 260,000 MHFAiders and 3,000 instructors to amplify the campaign, aiming to grow its online network to half a million MHFAiders and further embed mental health literacy, confidence and support into Australian workplaces and communities.
To learn more about Make Every Conversion Matter campaign and to get involved, visit www.mhfa.com.au.
