Mental Health First Aid Edition 4 launched in Aotearoa

We are very excited to announce that the fourth edition of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is officially available in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Since Te Pou took over from Counties Manukau DHB as the national license holder in 2020, we have been busy behind the scenes adapting the fourth edition of the programme for the Aotearoa New Zealand context. Through the adaptation process, we have been clear about honouring our cultural context and lived experience in Aotearoa. In addition to adapting the workshop materials themselves, specific guidelines have also been developed for delivering MHFA within Māori, Pacific and Rainbow communities.

We are grateful to all who have been involved in the adaptation process. It has been a truly collaborative process and we are excited to see the launch of the new edition.

^{The 4th edition manual and merchandise for MHFA Aotearoa.}

In October, we delivered the first upskill training via Zoom to a group of existing instructors who have been working with the previous MHFA programme to bring them up to speed with the new content. The upskill training was delivered virtually over three days by our three Master Instructors, Sarah Christensen, Kerri Bulter and Laura Conlon. Despite not being able to engage in person, the training was a great success. The instructors really enjoyed the new content and felt energised about the new edition of the programme. Feedback included:

“I really like the improvements to the cultural safety components.”

“Love the inclusion of the cultural and LGBTTQIA+ section.”

“Great to be immersed in Kiwi content.”

“I think the training overall was excellent, especially given the timeframe to deliver the training via Zoom. The instructors were all excellent, and all brought different strengths which made for an excellent experience.”

^{Participants Zoomed in for the upskill training with our three Master Instructors.}

The new edition has quickly been put into practice with Humanex delivering the first workshop of the MHFA Aotearoa New Zealand fourth edition programme in the Bay of Plenty in November. Congratulations to the participants on becoming the first group of mental health first aiders trained in this version of the programme.

Lindsey Rayner, Humanex Director said “We were privileged to be the first provider to make little bit of history by delivering the 4th edition of MHFA Aotearoa New Zealand in Tauranga this month. We had a wonderful group of people at our public course from a range of organisations, including Southern Cross Horticulture and Te Awanui Hauora Trust. The 4th edition was well received by all participants, and we thoroughly enjoyed delivering the updated content.

"We are passionate about ensuring every person has access to this programme. One way in which we do this is through delivering public courses across New Zealand to give people the opportunity to become a mental health first aiders. Our mission is to have a mental health first aider in every organisation in New Zealand and we are proudly working in conjunction with Te Pou as the licence holder to increase awareness and ultimately create positive change in the workplace, community and whanau.”

^{The participants of the first Mental Health First Aid 4th Edition workshop with their completion certificates.}

Unfortunately, we are unable to hold the planned new instructor trainings this year, but they will be available in 2022. If you are interested in becoming a Mental Health First Aid instructor, please email mhfa@tepou.co.nz.