Background and Training Objective

MHFA is an internationally recognized qualification that equips those who qualify with the skills to identify the early symptoms of key mental health conditions, handle conversations with those distressed with confidence and skill, signpost on where appropriate, manage boundaries and advocate for healthy evidence-based practices within the workplace. Mental Health First Aid training is widely recognized as an important component of overall strategic development of a healthy workplace. Part of ensuring mental health is regarded as important as physical health in a workplace context, the MHFA course is also specifically geared towards tackling stigma around mental health, debunking the harmful myths around the issue, and addressing the social and cultural factors that inhibit frank conversations. 


Learning Outcomes

By the end of the training, participants will: 

  • All trainees receive certification in Mental Health First Aid through MHFA England, part of the international MHFA Movement.  
  • Understand and can identify the main physical/emotional/behavioral symptoms of key mental disorders, up to and including managing a suicidal crisis.  
  • All trainees will additionally be provided with a basic grounding in key MH risk factors affecting aid workers, including PTS, PTSD, vicarious trauma, burnout, provision of remote support and providing support in low resource environments.  
  • All trainees are trained to initiate conversations around mental health, and to handle discussions with those affected with safety and sensitivity.  
  • All trainees will learn how to understand their own risk factors and coping strategies and learn how to develop their own personal resilience strategies. They will also be able to support colleagues in their own processes.  
  • All trainees will be provided with appropriate resources to support them in the role (a manual and an app linking MHFAiders to 24/7 support) 
  • All those who qualify will also become members of the Association of MHFAiders.  


Target Audience 

  • All UNICEF Supply Division staff likely to be deployed in emergencies, crisis situations, and volatile environments. 
  • UNICEF Supply Division staff recommended for the Supply Emergency and Surge Roster. Priority will be given to first wave surge colleagues who have done ETB and SSAFE training. 


Length

This is a 2 full-day training scheduled as follows:

  • Dates: Wednesday, 29 January 2025 – Thursday, 30 January 2025
  • Time:  9:00 AM – 5:00 PM daily

Topics Covered

  • Topics covered in the core course: Depression, anxiety, panic, suicide, psychosis, and recovery from all of the above.  
  • Topics covered in the additional aid worker specific module: global perspectives of MH incidence and legal frameworks, PTS, PTSD, vicarious trauma, post traumatic growth, provision of remote support, moral injury. 

The ETB training has been structured in a way that ensures its contents equip participants with the skills to fulfil this obligation.


Facilitators: Imogen wall and Stephen Ryan


Attendance Requirements

  1. Participation for selected candidates is mandatory. Selected participants must be physically and mentally present throughout the training duration from the first day to the last day.

     

Contact details

For more information, please contact sc.learning@unicef.org