Programme Overview

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help given to someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis, before he or she can obtain professional help.

Aims of MHFA

• Preserving life,
• Providing comfort,
• Preventing the situation from getting worse, and
• Promoting recovery for people who are developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis.

Background

The MHFA Training was developed in Australia in 2000 and was supported by the ORYGEN Research Centre of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne. It has been evaluated and disseminated internationally. The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong (in Chinese only) is the coordinating agency in Hong Kong.

This is an educational course, in which you will

• Learn about signs and symptoms of common mental health problems, such as Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Psychosis, and Substance Misuse,
• Learn about the 5 Actions Plan which guides you to deal with mental health crises effectively, and
• Identify the available resources in HKU and the local community for people with mental health problems.

By completing this 12-hour international certificate course, you will

• Receive a comprehensive course manual,
• Be awarded a certificate given full attendance in training, and
• Be entitled to join various post-training activities.

Format: lecture, video show, role-play, experiential exercises, and group discussions.