MHFA International CEO visits Wise Group from Australia, strengthening global connections

Last week, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) International CEO Angus Clelland travelled across the Tasman for his first visit to MHFA Aotearoa New Zealand.

He spent two days at the Wise Group office in Kirikiriroa Hamilton meeting with the MHFA team and leaders from Te Pou and the Wise Group.

MHFA Aotearoa is licensed by Te Pou in New Zealand, and the visit was a chance to strengthen international connections, build relationships, and have some future-focused conversations. It was also a timely opportunity to celebrate a significant milestone of 10,000 MHFAiders in New Zealand.

“We are lucky at Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa to have a good relationship with our trans-Tasman neighbours, and this visit only strengthens that relationship,” said MHFA Aotearoa programme manager Sarah Christensen. “We were delighted to meet with Angus in-person and discuss how we can collaborate with MHFA International to have a positive impact in our region.”

Mental Health First Aid International celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025. The non-governmental organisation and health promotion charity was founded in Australia in 2000 and has now grown into one of the most trusted mental health education programmes in the world.

More than 8.5 million people globally have completed a MHFA workshop, and become equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence to recognise, understand and respond when someone is experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis.

Clelland said some of the highlights of his visit included meeting with leaders at the Wise Group and Te Pou to understand how MHFA Aotearoa fitted within the Wise Group family, and how these entities and programmes collectively deliver support to people in need across New Zealand.

He also enjoyed being welcomed with a mihi whakatau (Māori welcome ceremony), learning about the unique cultural context of Aotearoa, and exploring opportunities to grow the reach of the programme.

Clelland was impressed at the dedication and hard work of the MHFA Aotearoa team, and the growth of the programme in New Zealand, which recently surpassed 10,000 people trained since Te Pou took over the license in July 2020.

“To have 10,000 people go through the programme [over the past five years] is terrific," said Clelland. “We know that Mental Health First Aid creates a ripple effect in communities, because it is not just the individuals that get the benefit of the training, but also the people around them that will derive a benefit from the knowledge and skills of people who have gone through the programme.”

At the mihi whakatau, Clelland enjoyed some special “10,000 MHFAider” cupcakes with Te Pou and MHFA Aotearoa kaimahi.

He also acknowledged the hard work of MHFA Aotearoa instructors in the community who played an important role in teaching the programme to others, creating circles of safety and support in homes, workplaces, schools and community settings.

“You are part of a family of around 60,000 instructors worldwide – an incredible network of individuals who are likeminded and dedicated to providing mental health first aid training and education within communities in need around the world.

“The work you do is extraordinary, it’s a fantastic public health intervention and it really makes a difference in communities and schools and workplaces in New Zealand and around the world.”

Clelland said that 2025 marked a time of growth and expansion for the MHFA International organisation – which works with 35 partners across 45 countries, including Te Pou in New Zealand.

“We are very excited to be working with Te Pou and the team here, and very encouraged by their target to reach 100,000 people [trained in MHFA Aotearoa programmes] in the future.”

Te Pou currently offers both Standard and Youth MHFA Aotearoa programmes and is working on an adaption of the Teen MHFA peer-to-peer programme for senior high school students in New Zealand.