Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) | online course
A first aid course for mental health
The issue of mental health has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Mental health problems and conditions are becoming increasingly common, with over 40 percent of people in Germany being affected at least once in their lifetime. The MHFA courses follow a scientifically evaluated, evidence-based program. Among other things, these evaluations found that the courses have a number of positive side-effects such as reducing stigmatizing attitudes and improving participants’ own mental health.
This course trains non-experts in spotting the signs of mental health problems and in applying suitable “first aid” to combat them. The objectives of this course include preventing shock-induced paralysis and the sensation of helplessness that people feel when they suddenly find themselves confronted by others experiencing an acute mental health crisis or developing psychological condition. After taking potential first aid measures, it is all about putting the people affected in touch with professional counseling services if need be.
The course consists of two days, each lasting 6 hours (plus breaks).
Trainer
N.N.
Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim
Language
German
Date(s)
New dates are being planned.
Target group
University of Bonn employees working in an advisory role, e.g. examination or doctoral office staff and degree program managers
Location
Online via Zoom
Note
Participation in all parts is mandatory. If you are unable to attend a part, please let us know at an early stage.
Content
- Training non-experts in recognizing mental health problems affecting others
- Main topics covered: depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, addiction
- Learning suitable “first aid” for the above conditions
General information
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As with physical first aid courses, participation in an MHFA course is no substitute for medical or psychological/psychotherapeutic training. It is merely about learning and practicing first aid so that the person affected can be referred to professional help if necessary.
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We would like to give participants the opportunity to discuss their experiences after the course has finished and so will be setting up a network and arranging regular meetings. Needless to say, attendance at these is entirely voluntary. More information will follow at the beginning of the course.
Information about registration
- Dealing with mental health problems during the course can be stressful. Therefore, please only take part in the course if you consider yourself to be mentally stable.
- Comprehensive course documentation will be mailed to all participants between the first and second part.
- After the course has finished, you will have the opportunity to sit an exam to qualify as a mental health first aider.
- This course can be counted toward the “Professional Teaching Competence for Universities” certificate program in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in the “Studierende beraten” (“Advising students”) module. Please contact your colleagues in the Bonn Center for Higher Education if you are interested.
Good to Know
Our events and activities are open to all staff and apprentices at the University of Bonn who hold a valid work or apprenticeship contract with the University. Unfortunately, externals are not able to take part.
Participation is free for staff at the University of Bonn, which will cover the costs.
The event spaces are accessible to a certain extent. Should you need help getting in, please get in touch with your named contact in good time so that we can give you the support you need on the day of the event.
The events are also accessible to people with a hearing or visual impairment. If you have specific needs, please contact us in advance so that we can put appropriate support in place.
If you need childcare during an event, please contact the Office of Family Services at the University of Bonn.
We want to foster an environment of inclusiveness and diversity at our events and so are keen for everyone there to feel comfortable and safe. This requires us all to be mindful of the words we use and to avoid saying anything or behaving in a way that is offensive (even if only unintentionally).
Please be aware of the following:
- Use discrimination-sensitive language and respect other people’s self-identifiers (e.g. pronouns).
- Certain topics can trigger emotional overwhelm, so you should be mindful of your own boundaries as well as other people’s.
- If discriminatory experiences are addressed, you should take them seriously and acknowledge them for what they are.
- You can take a break or a step back at any time. If you need to leave the event room and require a space to withdraw to, you are welcome to speak to someone in our office, the event team or the trainer.
More information and tips can be found on the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Unit web pages.
Guidelines MHFA
In addition to attending the MHFA courses, there is also the option of using the official guidelines, especially if there is a need for information and support at short notice. The guidelines provide tips on how to deal with affected persons and background information on the respective topic, such as dealing with depression, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts or problematic alcohol consumption. You can download the respective guidelines free of charge from the website of the international course provider.
Contact
Dr. Katja Stöver