0. Want a private MHFA class?

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) private standard or in-person class

 If you have a minimum of 10 participants you can book a private in-person or virtual MHFA class!

Discounts available depending on group size and classes booked. Your instructor will work with you to find a mutually agreed upon schedule and arrangements. Any time of the day, evening, and even night is available for training dependent on instructor availability. For in-class training, other cost considerations include where the training is being held, if a meeting room is available, and how far the location is to the Greater Toronto Area/Durham Region. Your instructor is available to fly-out to other provinces for in-class teaching if that is preferred over virtual training.

To book a private class, please contact: ricom@whatmattrs.com

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. 

What to expect

This is a certificate course provided by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). The certificate does not expire. This course is divided into 3 modules, the first module being self-guided that participants complete on their own time, and the other 2 modules are either done over the course of 1 or 2 days depending on what they registered for.

After registering for this course, an e-mail will be sent to you containing instructions for module 1, and your digital material including reference guide. Closer to the course date, reminders will be sent out about completing module 1 and the instructions to login to the Zoom course on the registered date. 

Contact: mssrmco@gmail.com

About the instructor:

Matthew Rico, RN, CPMHN(C), Psychotherapist

https://www.mhfa.ca/en/users/matthew-rico

Matthew has over 11+ years clinical experience in mental health nursing, 8+ years teaching non-violent crisis intervention, has delivered Mental Health First Aid to 1700+ Canadians since 2018, and a member of the first group of Canadians certified to provide Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) training from the Zero Suicide Institute. He has been involved in various in-hospital activities/projects including implementing mindfulness education for staff, research on managing aggression, and assisting with hospital accreditation. Matthew was the Communications Officer for the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) Durham-Northumberland chapter from 2019 to 2021 and a former Union Steward for OPSEU Local 331. He has spoken publicly on mental health at various settings, hosted events, done advocacy work for mental health, and presents annually on cultural competency at Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) workshops for helping nurses preparing to write their mental health specialty certificate.

Why is this experience relevant? Matthew brings his courses to life using both his personality, passion, and years of experience in facilitating courses/classes to maintain attention. This includes use of examples, stories, and providing tips/strategies that compliment the MHFA content drawn from his service in mental health care. People often continue to feel inadequate or underprepared to support people with mental health problems. They can identify the issues but are still asking: how do I get them to talk, how do I get them to accept help, what does help look like in a system that is so challenging to get support from? Matthew's goal is to prepare people with both verbal/support strategies and a good knowledge base on treatment/help options. He invites all participants to stay connected and retain him as an ongoing resource for questions/support related to mental health. After the class, Matthew will discuss different coping tools and strategies for mental health problems, such as mindfulness and cognitive de-fusion.

Q: How does the 2-day (Basic) class differ from the 1-day (Standard) class?
A: The 2-day class is twice the length of the 1-day class. This means you get more information including discussing psychotic disorders in significantly greater depth than the virtual course that was developed to focus on general mental health decline. The same skills are discussed. If you also prefer learning in-person about each disorder than having to read about it then the 2-day is a better environment for you!

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Basic (2-days, 14-16 hours in 2 or 4 days) does not require any prerequisites and intended for the general public not just healthcare professionals. 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. 

Learn more - https://www.mhfa.ca/en/course-type/basic

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Standard (total 8-hours in 1 or 2 days)

The Standard is done in 1 day virtually or in-person. Course 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 support
• 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 (Online)

• 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

**Module 1 must be completed before participating in Module 2 and 3 online!

Learn more - https://www.mhfa.ca/en/course-type/mhfa-standard-virtual

For information about MHFA Standard (Virtual)

https://mhfa.ca/en/course-type/mhfa-standard-virtual

For information about MHFA Basic (in-person)

https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/training/mhfa/basic/