Duration: 12 hours, in-person over 2 days (6 hours each day)

Mental Health First Aid Basic is a Mental Health Commission of Canada course intended for adults interacting with adults (18 years and older). This course focuses on the four most common mental health disorders including substance related, mood related, anxiety and trauma related, and psychotic disorders. Participants who take this course are well prepared to interact confidently about mental health with their family, friends, communities, and workplaces.

Course model

The MHFA course is 12 hours, delivered in person over 2 days (6 hours each day), or 4 days (3 hours each day). In the MHFA course, you will gain a solid understanding of the 5 basic actions of ALGEE:

• Assess the risk of suicide and/or harm
• Listen non-judgmentally
• Give reassurance
• Encourage professional support
• Encourage other supports

ALGEE is the framework for having a confident conversation about mental health with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers.

Key Outcomes

International evaluations and feedback have found the following outcomes for participants undertaking an MHFA course:

• Increased awareness of signs and symptoms of the most common mental health problems
• Decreased stigma related to mental health
• Increased confidence interacting with individuals experiencing a mental health problem or crisis
• Increased help actually provided to individuals in crisis or experiencing a mental health problem

Duration & Format: 9 hours (2 hours self-directed online, followed by 7 hours facilitated over 1 or 2 days by zoom or in-person)

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the support provided to a person who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis. MHFA Standard Virtual participants will learn how to recognize signs that a person may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being or a mental health crisis and encourage that person to:

• Talk about declines in their mental well-being
• Discuss professional and other supports that could help with recovery to improved mental well-being
• Reach out to these supports
• Assist in a mental health or substance use crisis
• Use MHFA actions to maintain one’s own mental well-being

Topics

• Module 1: Self-Directed
  • Introduction to the course
  • Introduction to MHFA actions
• Module 2: Virtual Classroom
  • Practice applying MHFA actions to situations of declining mental well-being
  • Guidelines for MHFA conversations with people from diverse cultures and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community
• Module 3 Virtual Classroom
  • Discussion on using MHFA actions for self-care
  • Practice using MHFA actions in crisis situations

Method of Instruction

This 8-hour course opens with a self-directed module (Module 1) that focuses on the information and strategies that participants will discuss and practice throughout the virtual classroom modules (Modules 2 and 3). Course participants are required to complete Module 1 before participating in Module 2 and 3.

Duration & Format: 4 hours, in-person

The Working Mind (TWM) is an evidence-based 4-hour course from the Mental Health Commission of Canada. It is designed to promote mental health and reduce the stigma around mental illness in the workplace. The course offers practical knowledge to increase participants’ overall comfort level with mental illness. The course covers the following topics:

• Mental Health and Stigma
  • Define basic concepts related to mental health and mental illness
  • Recognize the impact of stigma and discuss how to reduce stigma and other barriers to care
• Mental Health in the Workplace
  • Recognize and keep track of changes in your mental health and well-being and know when to take appropriate actions
  • Have conversations about mental health and mental illness with colleagues, friends and family members
• Stress and Resilience
  • Identify and practice coping strategies to manage stress and remain resilient
  • Identify and use available resources to support yourself

Duration & Format: 5 hours

The Working Mind (TWM) Virtual is an evidence-based program from the Mental Health Commission of Canada designed to promote mental health and reduce the stigma around mental illness in the workplace. The course offers practical knowledge to increase participants’ overall comfort level with mental illness. Delivered via Zoom, this interactive course is 5 hours in duration, and can be scheduled for one day or over multiple days. The course covers the following topics:

• Mental Health and Stigma
  • Define basic concepts related to mental health and mental illness
  • Recognize the impact of stigma and discuss how to reduce stigma and other barriers to care
• Mental Health in the Workplace
  • Recognize and keep track of changes in your mental health and well-being and know when to take appropriate actions
  • Have conversations about mental health and mental illness with colleagues, friends and family members
• Stress and Resilience
  • Identify and practice coping strategies to manage stress and remain resilient
  • Identify and use available resources to support yourself

Duration & Format: 2-hour, 4-hour and 8-hour formats available, in-person

Bullying has become such a concern that government, unions and workplaces recognize this issue must be addressed. The Worker's Compensation Board requires employers to have policy and procedures in place to address the issue of bullying and harassment. Collective agreement language can also address bullying and harassment, but training is needed to fully understand this hazard and how workers, employers and supervisors should respond. This course will provide you with the skills needed to address bullying and make your worksite a safer place.

In this course, you will learn:

• Definition of what is bullying and what is not considered bullying
• Causes of bullying
• Legal requirements – Workers Compensation Board and collective agreement language
• How to address the issue
• Social media and cyber-bullying or harassment
• Prevention strategies and actions

Duration & format: 3 hours, online via Zoom

Bullying has become such a concern that government, unions and workplaces recognize this issue must be addressed. The Worker's Compensation Board requires employers to have policy and procedures in place to address the issue of bullying and harassment. Collective agreement language can also address bullying and harassment, but training is needed to fully understand this hazard and how workers, employers and supervisors should respond. This course will provide you with the skills needed to address bullying and make your worksite a safer place.

In this course, you will learn:

• Definition of what is bullying and what is not considered bullying
• Causes of bullying
• Legal requirements – Workers Compensation Board and collective agreement language
• How to address the issue
• Social media and cyber-bullying or harassment
• Prevention strategies and actions