Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid
Medical Deans administers funding from the Australian Government for medical students in Australian universities to access online mental health first aid training. In the 2023-24 Federal Budget, this funding was extended to include students in Australian nursing and midwifery, and allied health programs, with Medical Deans administering the wider project.
Students undertaking the online mental health first aid training learn how to assist a peer who is developing a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression or substance abuse, or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training emphasises the need for students to build strong self-care habits and become alert to the signals of deteriorating mental health within themselves and amongst their peers.
Course Components
Component 1: Online Module (Funded)
Completing this core eLearning module earns students a Certificate of Completion and become a MHFAider
Component 2: Instructor-Led Training (Not Funded)
This optional component leads to students gaining ‘Accredited’ MHFAider status
Funding Details
Project funding for the e-Learning module was received for 4 years (2024-2027)
Additionally, there is limited funding available to train new instructors. This initiative aims to enhance university capacity, enabling them to offer the instructor-led component (Component 2), if they choose to do so. (By doing so universities can give students the option of becoming an Accredited MHFAider)
Contact [email protected] for any queries
