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 13+ years of experience in mental health and is a person with lived experience. He has worked with various populations and mental health disorders in many different settings. This includes youth/adolescents to older adults receiving inpatient care. Matthew is a Registered Nurse (RN) by trade, specialized in mental health, psychotherapy, and education. He has been involved in research, quality/accreditation, and held various professional roles over his career.

Matthew has been teaching non-violent crisis intervention for 10+ years, delivered Mental Health First Aid to 2100+ Canadians since 2018, and is one of the first Canadians certified to provide Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) training from the Zero Suicide Institute. His experience with education also includes creating workshops, presentations, and educational material for hospitals, schools, and other organizations. He has also been involved in developing and delivering various workshops and microcredentials for Ontario Shores on topics such as mindfulness, self-care, motivational interviewing (MI), and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Twice a year, Matthew teaches on culture and mental health, for nurses preparing to take their CNA specialty exam.

Why is this experience relevant? Matthew brings his courses to life using his personality, passion, and years of experience to capture attention. He translates the information, adding context to the content through storytelling, metaphors, and offering expert insights.

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/