First aid kits are commonplace on sites, in trucks, in rest rooms and offices. But we believe that every rural workplace needs a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) kit as well. We are delighted that the next series of YANA Mental Health First Aid Courses will be held soon, in the summer of 2021.
How to become a Mental Health First Aider
Over recent years YANA has trained 96 people in the skills to become a Mental Health First Aider. The full YANA MHFA training takes place over two days usually at a location in South Norfolk. The course is led by an excellent MHFA England instructor who is qualified to give practical advice and is also well aware of the realities of working in farming and other countryside businesses.
As well as the normal two-day Mental Health First Aider training, for the first time we are offering the chance of a new one-day Mental Health First Aid Champion course which gives an awareness of mental health first aid.
We will be selecting small groups of 12 trainees for the one or two days of sessions in either June or July 2021.
Learning for better rural mental health
We are grateful to the Prince’s Countryside Fund and NFU Mutual for their financial support for this next phase of training. Again, the courses will help agri-professionals in Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcestershire be better workmates, colleagues, friends or family support to those they care about who are struggling.
The full two-day YANA MHFA course gives you a depth and breadth of knowledge. It does not teach you to be a therapist but it does show you how to listen, reassure and signpost sources of help. By the end of the training you will have gained the following:
- An in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing
- Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of mental health issues
- Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress
- Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
- Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support
Apply for a place on a YANA MHFA course
To get an application form and be considered for a place on one of the next face-to-face MHFA courses in late June or early July – or to tell us that you’d like to be put on a list to be informed of future courses – then please email admin@yanahelp.org.
We hope to see you on one of our YANA MHFA courses one day so you can be a key part of the MHFA kit where you work.
In the meantime, there is advice here on this website if you want to know what to do if you are concerned about someone.