We deliver nationally accredited and evidence-based mental health training for workplaces, community organisations and individuals face-to-face and online.
Our courses are authored by Mental Health First Aid Australia - the leading organisation in evidence-based mental health first aid training - and recognised by Suicide Prevention Australia as safe and effective. We are committed to strengthening communities where people have the knowledge, skills and confidence to recognise and respond to mental health challenges, and to have the conversations that matter most.
Whether you're an individual looking to build your own skills, a team leader supporting your people, or an organisation committed to safety and wellbeing - our courses are designed to meet you where you are.
Our Team
Kristie Walker
Licensed InstructorKristie is a Licensed MHFA Instructor with training in health promotion and 25+ years across bushfire recovery, emergency management and organisational leadership means she's facilitated in high-stakes, high-care environments. Participants describe her style as warm, welcoming and disarming. More
Licensed InstructorPhil Cousins
Phil is a Licensed MHFA Instructor and counsellor who brings both professional training and lived experience of mental health challenges to every course. Based in regional Victoria, his approach is consistently described as accessible, honest and deeply relevant. More
Standard Mental Health First Aid Course
Equips adults with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to recognise, understand and respond to a friend, family member, co-worker, or another adult, experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis. This course is recognised by Suicide Prevention Australia as safe, high-quality, and effective suicide prevention program.
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The Standard Mental Health First Aid course teaches participants how to provide initial support to another adult who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis, until professional help is received or the crisis resolves.
Course participants learn about the signs and symptoms of common mental health problems in adults, how to recognise and respond to an emerging or worsening mental health problem and the treatments and supports available.
Using a practical, evidence-based action plan, course participants learn how to approach someone they are concerned about and initiate a conversation about those concerns. Participants also learn how to offer initial support and information and how to encourage the person to seek professional help or other supports.
Adults who complete the course become Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAiders), equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to provide someone with mental health information and support when it matters most.
Standard Mental Health First Aid courses delivered in blended formats include some eLearning materials tailored to either workplaces or community settings. Participants can select their preferred setting when organising Blended Online or Blended Face-to-Face delivery of this course.
This course is recognised by Suicide Prevention Australia as a safe, high-quality, and effective suicide prevention program.
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Evidence-based: All Mental Health First Aid courses are based on guidelines that are informed by people with lived experience, their caregivers, and mental health professionals.
Rigorously evaluated: Evaluations consistently show that Mental Health First Aid training improves participants’ knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, and confidence in providing mental health first aid to individuals.
Skills-based: Teaches the practical skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a difference.
Internationally recognised: Over 6 million people trained in Mental Health First Aid across 25 countries.
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This course covers common and disabling mental health problems and crisis situations. Participants learn how to apply mental health first aid to adults across a range of situations, including:
Depression
Anxiety
Psychosis
Substance use problems
Suicidal thoughts and behaviours
Panic attacks
Non-suicidal self-injury
Traumatic events
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Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:
Recognise the signs and symptoms of mental health problems in adults
Use an evidence-based action plan to initiate a mental health first aid conversation
Know the barriers to help-seeking and how to overcome these
Assess for a range of crisis situations and provide initial support
Understand the prevalence and impact of mental illnesses, risk factors and treatments and supports available
Apply self-care practices as a Mental Health First Aider
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Suitable for individuals, workplaces of all sizes and volunteer and community-based groups.
Any adult (aged 18+) can attend.
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You can complete the short assessment at the end of a course to become a Nationally Accredited Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider) with Mental Health First Aid Australia.
Accreditations are valid for 3 years.
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This is a 12 hour course, best delivered face-to-face. Please ask us about other format options if face-to-face it not possible.
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All quoted fees include gst.
Face to Face delivery for 6-24 participants
Group booking: $3,854 for the first 6 participants | $55 pp after 6 participants
Individual registration: $605 plus booking fees
100% online delivery (blended online) for 6-12 participants
Group booking: $2,750 for the first 6 participants | $155 pp after 6 participants
Individual registration: $458 plus bookings fees
50% online and 50% face-to-face (blended face-to-face) for 6 - 24 participants
Group booking: $3,163 for the first 6 participants | $155 pp after 6 participants
Individual registration: $528 plus bookings fees
Conversations about Suicide Course
Equips adults with the knowledge, skills and confidence to recognise, understand and respond to a friend, family member, co-worker or other person, experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours. This course is recognised by Suicide Prevention Australia as safe, high-quality, and effective suicide prevention program.
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The Conversations about Suicide course teaches participants how to provide initial support to someone who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours, until professional help is received or the crisis resolves.
Course participants learn how to recognise and respond to suicidal thoughts and behaviours, provide support and encourage pathways to professional help.
Using a practical, evidence-based action plan, participants learn how to approach someone they are concerned about and initiate a conversation about those concerns. Participants also learn how to offer initial support and information and how to encourage the person to seek professional help or other supports.
This course is recognised by Suicide Prevention Australia as a safe, high-quality, and effective suicide prevention program. Learn more.
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Evidence-based: All Mental Health First Aid courses are based on guidelines that are informed by people with lived experience, their caregivers, and mental health professionals.
Rigorously evaluated: Evaluations consistently show that Mental Health First Aid training improves participants’ knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, and confidence in providing mental health first aid to individuals.
Skills-based: Teaches the practical skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a difference.
Internationally recognised: Over 6 million people trained in Mental Health First Aid across 25 countries.
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Participants in this course will learn how to apply mental health first aid to a person experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours.
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Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:
Recognise the signs that indicate someone may be experiencing suicidal thoughts
Understand the warning signs and risk factors of suicide
Know how to support someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours
Use an evidence-based action plan to initiate a mental health first aid conversation
Understand the professional resources and supports available for people experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours
Know the barriers to help seeking and how to overcome these
Apply self-care practices as a Mental Health First Aider.
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Suitable for individuals, workplaces of all sizes and volunteer and community-based groups.
Any adult (aged 18+) can attend.
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There is no accreditation for this course. See the Standard Mental Health First Aid Course for Accreditation options.
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This is a 4 hour course, best delivered face-to-face.
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All quoted fees include gst.
Face to Face delivery for 6-24 participants
Group bookings: $2,326 for the first 6 participants | $44 pp after 6 participants
Individual registration: $388 plus booking fees
This course can only be delivered face-to-face.
Refresher Course: Standard Mental Health First Aid
Training for current and Accredited MHFAiders to stay up to date with mental health first aid knowledge, skills and information.
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Course participants learn about the latest research in the mental health field, work through complex mental health first aid interactions, and practice their mental health first aid skills across a range of mental health problems and mental health crisis situations.
Participants can complete a short assessment at the end of a course to extend your Mental Health First Aid Accreditation for a further 3 years.
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Upon completion of this course participants will be able to:
Recognise the signs that indicate someone may be experiencing suicidal thoughts
Understand the warning signs and risk factors of suicide
Know how to support someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours
Use an evidence-based action plan to initiate a mental health first aid conversation
Understand the professional resources and supports available for people experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours
Know the barriers to help seeking and how to overcome these
Apply self-care practices as a Mental Health First Aider.
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Current and Accredited Standard, MHFAiders are eligible to attend.
You are eligible for a Refresher course if you have completed a full MHFA course and accreditation assessment, within the last 3 years.
You will need to provide a copy of your Certificate of Accreditation to us prior to the training. You can access a copy via your Mental Health First Aid Account.
Participants who have last attended a Refresher Course will need to attend a full course as per our accreditation pathway.
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Successful completion of the Refresher Course will extend your accreditation for a further 3 years.
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3 years after completing a Refresher Course, MHFAiders will need to attend a full 12 or 14-hour MHFA course in order to maintain their accreditation.
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This is a 4 hour course, best delivered face-to-face.
Alternatively 5 hours, online.
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All quoted fees include gst.
Face to Face delivery for 6-24 participants
Group booking: $2,395 for the first 6 participants | $66 pp after 6 participants
Individual registration: $400 plus booking fees
100% online (blended online) for 6-12 participants
Group booking: $2,050 for the first 6 participants | $44 pp after 6 participants
Individual booking: $341 plus booking fee
Mental Health First Aid: Engaging Leaders
Helps leaders, decision makers and influencers within organisations understand how MHFA training helps create mentally healthy workplaces.
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Mental Health First Aid: Engaging Leaders has been developed for employers and managers. It provides leaders within organisations with information about the behavioural and physical signs that often indicate when an employee is experiencing a mental health problem and approaches for supporting an employee with mental illness.
The 90-minute session provides participants with a comprehensive overview of what staff and employees learn in a full 12-hour Mental Health First Aid training course.
Engaging Leaders participants also learn about how the workplace can contribute to mental health problems, the framework for creating mentally healthy workplaces and how Mental Health First Aid training in the workplace can help.
It talks to the role of MHFAiders and MHFA Officers in a workplace and how Mental Health First Aid training can contribute to a culture of care where staff feel supported and encouraged to talk openly about mental health.
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Evidence-based: All Mental Health First Aid courses are based on guidelines that are informed by people with lived experience, their caregivers, and mental health professionals.
Rigorously evaluated: Evaluations consistently show that Mental Health First Aid training improves participants’ knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, and confidence in providing mental health first aid to individuals.
Skills-based: Teaches the practical skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a difference.
Internationally recognised: Over 6 million people trained in Mental Health First Aid across 25 countries.
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Suitable for leaders, decision makers and influencers within organisations.
Any adult (aged 18+) can attend.
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There is no accreditation for this information session.
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The 90-minute session can be delivered face-to-face or online
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"Loved it! So many skills to use in everyday life."
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"A very rewarding course professionally and personally."
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"It's given me the confidence to use these tools in everyday situations"
What is the Mental Health Continuum?
Corey Keyes' Mental Health Continuum model emphasises that mental health is a spectrum (what we call a ‘continuum experience’) not just a binary state of "healthy" or "ill." It highlights the importance of focusing on both the absence of mental illness and the presence of positive mental wellbeing.
A vertical axis represents the presence or absence of mental illness, with symptoms of mental illness on the left and no symptoms on the right. The horizontal axis represents the level of mental health, with optimal mental health at the top and poor mental health at the bottom.
Selected Clients
The LETS TALK foundation was created in 2016 after a shocking increase in suicide rates in the community. Their mission is to remove the stigma of mental illness in their community, encourage help seeking behaviour and raise the level of community competence in supporting someone with mental health issues. https://letstalkaustralia.org/
Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA) is the lead agency for integrated catchment management in the Corangamite region of Victoria. Integrated catchment management (ICM) is the coordinated management of land, water and biodiversity resources and includes consideration of environmental, cultural, social, recreational, and economic values. https://ccma.vic.gov.au/
Colac Area Health meets the needs of more than 30,000 people in the Corangamite, Colac Otway, and Surf Coast Shires. It is a unique, integrated health service encompassing Aged Care, Hospital Care, Community Care and many other services. Their mission is to be a trusted provider of optimal health outcomes by delivering or facilitating integrated person centred care, achieving excellence through partnerships, research and innovation. https://cah.vic.gov.au/
Mental Wellness Resource Mapping
Mapping community resources that support well-being is a valuable tool for promoting individual health, community vitality, and social equity. By increasing accessibility, improving health outcomes, fostering collaboration, informing decision-making, and empowering communities, mapping can contribute to a more vibrant and resilient society.
Workshops and programs
Our tailored workshops and programs can empower communities to function effectively. As trained facilitators and coaches with deep experience in community development, business, and leadership, we tailor our offerings to meet the unique needs of your community. Our goal is to equip individuals and groups with the tools and knowledge they need to function well.
Retreats
Retreats offer a valuable opportunity for individuals and communities to step away from the daily grind to rest, connect, and create. By providing a space to relax, build relationships, and engage in creative activities, retreats can contribute to improved mental and physical health, personal growth, and a stronger sense of community. Join one of our annual retreats or ask about a private retreat for your group.
Support for employers
In Victoria, employers now have a legal duty to manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Psychosocial hazards - including poor support, high job demands, low role clarity and workplace conflict- must be identified, assessed and controlled, just like physical safety risks. Similar obligations now apply across Australia under the Work Health and Safety Act and state equivalents.
Mental Health First Aid training is one of the most practical, evidence-based steps an organisation can take toward meeting these obligations - equipping your people with the skills and confidence to recognise and respond to mental health challenges before they escalate.
“…employers that invest in eliminating psychosocial risks, and supporting the mental health of their employees, receive a healthy return on those investments through multiple channels: including better retention, reduced turnover and training costs, reduced sick leave, higher productivity, and lower workers’ compensation claims.”
“Only 56% of workers believe their most senior leader values mental health”.
The Australia Institute and the Centre for Future Work