Why Youth MHFA matters “Learning to be a Youth MHFAider is like becoming a kangaroo – creating a warm and safe space and carrying around different sets
of skills and resources in their pocket.” Jessica, Youth MHFA Instructor Member Aims and outcomes
Youth MHFA is the first response support offered to a young person who is showing emotional distress, developing poor mental health, experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health condition, or is in a mental health crisis. This might be in a work, home, or community setting. The aims of Youth MHFA are to: – Preserve life where a person may be at risk of harm to themselves or others – Provide help to prevent poor mental health from becoming more serious – Promote recovery from poor mental health – Provide comfort to a person displaying emotional distress or developing poor mental health Youth MHFA will typically be offered by someone who is not a mental health professional, but rather by someone in the young person’s social network (such as a family member or member of the community). It may also be offered by someone working in a public facing role (such as a teacher, police officer, or apprenticeship staff). This person is called a Youth MHFAider. This stands for Mental Health First Aider and is MHFA England’s official and registered trademark title.
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