Standard MHFA New Instructor Training - Wellington

This five-day training course is for people who want to become accredited Standard Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Aotearoa instructors. Te Pou, the sole licence holder of MHFA Aotearoa, runs this in-person course. Facilitated by two MHFA master trainers, the course will teach participants how to run MHFA workshops and teach the Standard MHFA Aotearoa 4^th edition programme with fidelity to the core programme model and key messages.

Participants must pass an assessment by the MHFA trainers before they can be accredited as instructors. Once participants have completed the course and successfully passed the assessment, they will receive access to the Standard MHFA 4^th edition teaching materials to guide them through workshop facilitation.

The investment to attend the new instructor training course is NZ$3,650 plus GST per person.

I want to become a MHFA instructor. How do I apply for the course?

Before applying to become a MHFA instructor, we recommend attending a two-day Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa workshop.

Step one: Meet the eligibility criteria

All MHFA instructors must show they have the skills and experience to run MHFA workshops successfully. Applicants will need to show they have:

• good knowledge about mental health challenges and treatments
• good teaching and communication skills
• good interpersonal skills
• empathy and compassion to people with mental health challenges
• personal and/or professional experience with people with mental health challenges
• good background knowledge of mental health services in Aotearoa
• the passion and enthusiasm to deliver MHFA workshops
• a good business plan or organisational support.

Step two: Review the instructor agreement

Upon completion of the new instructor course, all instructors must sign the MHFA Aotearoa instructor agreement. Before you apply to become a MHFA instructor, please review the sample instructor agreement and confirm that you are happy to agree to the requirements.

Step three: Complete and submit an Expression of Interest form

Te Pou is committed to ensuring MHFA Aotearoa accredited instructors have the appropriate skills and experience to successfully deliver MHFA workshops, along with ensuring there are accredited instructors available across the country. Applicants suitability for the role will be assessed according to the responses given in their Expression of Interest.

Step four: MHFA team will be in touch

Once your Expression of Interest has been received and reviewed, along with your acceptance of the instructor agreement, the MHFA team will be in touch about your application.

Step five: Payment of course fee

If your application is accepted, you will need to pay the new instructor training course fee via our e-store. A payment link will be sent once your application has been accepted. Payment must be made before you can be registered for the course. You will not be able to attend training unless payment has been made.

What should I expect at the training course?

Day 1 and Day 2 (Monday and Tuesday: 8:30am to 4:30pm)

• Trainee instructors will participate in the new MHFA 4^th edition workshop. This allows participants the opportunity to observe facilitation skills, how to teach activities, how to engage and monitor a room, and maintain safety.

Day 3 (Wednesday: 8:30am to 4:30pm)

• Facilitation skills and workshop content will be reviewed.
• Each trainee instructor will be given a section of the MHFA workshop to review and teach over the next two days.

Day 4 and Day 5 (Thursday and Friday: 8:30am to 4:30pm)

• Trainee instructors will present the section of the MHFA workshop they were allocated and will be assessed by the master instructors.
• We will be trying to get through as much of the MHFA workshop as possible. This enables training instructors to be really familiar with the content of the course.