Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid – Mental Health First Aid Australia

Program description

Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid (YAMHFA) is an informative, strengths-based early intervention education program, delivered to adults who support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in their school or broader community.

The course teaches participants social and emotional wellbeing from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective. It gives them the skills to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who may be experiencing a mental health problem or crisis until appropriate professional support is received or the crisis resolves.

The course is delivered by independent Licensed Instructors either via face-to face, blended face-to-face, or blended online delivery. School staff who identify as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent are also able to attend a 3-day or 5-day YAMHFA Instructor Training Course to enable them to deliver the course.

Intended outcomes

• Improved culturally informed knowledge of mental illnesses, their treatments and appropriate first aid strategies
• Confidence in providing first aid to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student experiencing a mental health problem
• Decreases in stigmatising attitudes
• Increases in the amount and type of support provided to others

Program details

Implementation considerations

• Target population: Adults that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
• Program adaptability: The program is suitable for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
• Staffing: Schools will need to consider backfilling of any staff who attend YAMHFA courses or Instructor Training.
• Training requirements: Depending on the chosen delivery mode, schools and participants will need access to either a physical training space or reliable internet and a working computer with camera facilities.
  • Instructor Training requires submission of an online application at least 4 weeks prior to training with applicants required to meet pre-determined criteria. Successful applicants will attend a 3- or 5-day course, depending on whether they are a new, existing or re-licensing Instructor. Additional upskills to deliver Blended courses apply.
  • The face-to-face course is delivered as 2 x 7-hour sessions over 2 days, with optional activities and 2 extra modules (up to an additional half day) to tailor the course to the needs of the participants.
• Factors to consider: Schools will need to consider the minimum and maximum number of participants permitted in YAMHFA courses:
  • Face-to-face or blended face-to-face delivery: 6–24 participants
  • Blended online delivery: 6–12 participants.
• Australian context: YAMHFA was developed in Australia.

Cost

Minimum cost

$2,000+

Detailed cost

Schools can engage an external Licensed Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA Instructor to deliver courses to their staff, or train eligible staff members as a Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA Instructor to then deliver Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA courses on behalf of the school. All prices are inclusive of GST.

To engage an external instructor to deliver Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA courses for your school:

• Face to face course: $480 per person
• Blended face-to-face course: $480 per person
• Blended online course: $400 per person.

For staff who identify as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent to be trained as a Licensed Youth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MHFA Instructor, 2 courses are offered:

• a 3-day course
• a 5-day course.

The 3-day course is only available to existing or re-licensing MHFA Instructors.

The 5-day course is open to anyone who identifies as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who wishes to apply.

Schools may choose to ‘pool’ their funding to deliver a Private Instructor Training Course for 10 or more participants, subject to terms and conditions, should public Instructor Training Courses not meet their needs.