Mental Health First Aid Australia have taken great care to consider the safety of participants during both components of the course in developing the MHFA Blended Online courses. This includes a MHFA Blended Online Course Distress Protocol for Participants for our MHFA Blended Online courses. You can download and read this here.
We have also put in place contingencies around the 2 x 2.5 Instructor-led sessions. This includes a requirement for all MHFA Instructors to confirm participants phone numbers should individual course participant follow up be required. Instructors will guide course participants through course check-ins and check-outs as part of the videoconferencing session delivery. If a participant leaves a video conferencing session, Instructors will not necessarily know why (e.g. internet problems, needing to tend to a child in the room or finding the content distressing). Where possible, course participants are to advise the Instructor if they are leaving the session. Instructors will use contact phone numbers provided by individual course participants to follow up wherever required if there are concerns regarding attendance or wellbeing of a course participant. These measures have been incorporated into the course delivery mode to provide appropriate available avenues for follow up and support for course participants completing courses online.
It is also recommended that if you are finding the course content distressing at any time, that you privately message the Instructor in the chat function of the video platform. This will allow your Instructor to take a break if needed and/or to schedule a time to follow up with you separately.
If you have further questions on this contact mhfa@mhfa.com.au with your concerns and we will assist in answering them.
If you are in need of support now you can reach out to any of these specialist services for support. If the situation is an emergency please call 000. Please find the following helplines and support services if you wish to speak to someone immediately who can help:
Kids Help Line
1800 55 1800
www.kidshelpline.com.au
Lifeline Australia
13 11 14
www.lifeline.org.au
Suicide Call Back Service
1300 659 467
https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/
If you need to access a clinical mental health service, please see the contact details by state here:
ACT - 1800 629 354 FREE– Mental Health Triage Service
NSW - 1800 011 511 FREE – Mental Health Line
NT - 1800 682 288 – Northern Territory Crisis Assessment Telephone Triage Service
QLD - 1300 MH CALL (1300 64 22 55) FREE - 24-hour specialist mental healthcare
SA - 13 14 65 FREE – Mental Health Triage Service
TAS - 1800 332 388 FREE – Mental Health Services Helpline
VIC - 1300 363 746 FREE – Psychiatric triage (information, assessment and referral) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
WA - 1800 676 822 FREE – Mental Health Emergency Response Line
You can download all of our Mental Health First Aid Guidelines on how to help someone developing a mental health problem or in a crisis here: https://mhfa.com.au/mental-health-first-aid-guidelines