Looking back at 21 years of MHFA
This month, we celebrate our 21st anniversary; 21 years since the very first MHFA training course was delivered. This significant milestone provides an opportunity for all of us at MHFA to pause, and reflect on the growth and impact of Mental Health First Aid™ in Australia, and around the world over the last two decades.
We would like to acknowledge the leadership of our founders Betty Kitchener AM, and Professor Tony Jorm, and thank our current and former Board Members and staff, our dedicated Instructors and course participants and our many collaborators and supporters worldwide for being an important part of our journey so far.
21 years on, mental health remains a global priority and our vision for a world where we all have the skills to support people experiencing mental health problems has never been more important.
In celebration of our 21st anniversary, we’d like to share some articles, videos and case studies that look at the impact of Mental Health First Aid training and recognise the people that make this possible. We hope you enjoy!
Written Articles
As Mental Health First Aid Australia continues to expand and grow, our vision of a world where we all have the skills to support people experiencing mental health problems, remains the core focus of the work we do.
The featured articles explore the growth and acceptance of mental health first aid and take a closer look at the impact of our courses on schools, universities, workplaces, and communities across the country.
Mental Health First Aid – 21 Years Strong
In recognition of our anniversary, we have put together an overview of the history of MHFA.
21 Years Strong, charts the growth of MHFA over the last two decades, from humble beginnings and the delivery of the very first community course in 2000 by founders Betty Kitchener and Tony Jorm, through to the licensing of MHFA programs throughout 26 countries.
Mental Health First Aid in Practice
The article MHFA in Practice showcases how the learnings and skills learned in our core courses are being implemented and embedded in schools, universities, and community settings across Australia.
What does MHFA mean to you?
Hear what our Instructors have to say…
21 years of MHFA wouldn’t be possible without our amazing network of over 2400 dedicated MHFA Instructors that teach courses all over Australia.
In this video we hear from various Instructors from around the country as they share what mental health first aid means to them.
MHFA Case Studies
MHFA Australia works with many workplaces and organisations across a range of different settings to implement Mental Health First Aid training. In this update we feature two case studies from two very different organisations, Lendlease and Live4Life.
While these two organisations are vastly different in their size, function and industry, they hold a shared commitment to and investment in the mental health of those in their workplace and community through their implementation of Mental Health First Aid.
Live4Life
Established in 2015, Life4Life is a not-for-profit community-based organisation that partners with rural communities to focus on empowering and supporting young people through mental health first aid education and skills.
Workplace Case Study: Lendlease
Learn more about Lendlease, the Lendlease Foundation and their holistic approach to supporting the well-being of their workforce, their families and friends and the communities in which it operates.
What’s behind an MHFA conversation?
We want to introduce you to our new resource page created to help provide valuable insight into what makes a successful mental health first aid conversation.
Sharing content from our courses, we look at a range of different scenarios and break down the steps and skills needed to have a successful mental health conversation with someone you are concerned about.
We step through what was said, how it was delivered and why it resulted in a positive outcome.
