Our Courses

The Youth Mental Health First Aid courses provide trainees with updated knowledge, skills and abilities required to provide the necessary assistance and guidance to support individuals facing mental health challenges. The courses equip trainees with the skills necessary to help such persons lift themselves from the negative situations that they find themselves in and to seek help. Mental Health First Aid training is delivered by the Trainers of Richmond Foundation who are official Mental Health First Aid instructors.

The course is designed for persons who have frequent contact with young people, for example, teachers, instructors, lecturers, school/ college counsellors, sports coaches, managers and youth workers. It is most relevant in situations where an adult becomes aware of symptoms that might indicate that a young person in their classroom or any other network is developing a mental health problem. However, the course may also provide some useful information on how to assist a young person who has a history of mental illness or longer-term mental health problems.

Youth MHFA for Schools and Organisations is aimed at promoting mental health awareness in an organisation. It is intended for adults who work with adolescents, such as: school staff, sports coaches, community group leaders and youth workers. It teaches the participants how to recognise when an adolescent they work with is experiencing a mental health problem and to use their knowledge of mental health first aid to help this young person.

The instructors delivering the training have significant experience working with adolescents and in supporting various organisations and individuals with mental health problems.

The Teen Mental Health First Aid course is a program that teaches adolescents how to support a friend who is experiencing mental health problems. It is complimentary to the adult course and this course runs over three sessions of 75 minutes each at the school or organisation’s premises. It emphasises the importance of young people getting an adult involved as quickly as possible when mental health problems might be suspected.

There are 2 versions of this course: 1 version for adolescents between the ages of 13-15 years and the second version for students between the ages of 16-18 years.

The course is intended for adults who work with adolescents, such as: school staff, sports coaches, community group leaders and youth workers. It teaches the participants how to recognise when an adolescent they work with is experiencing a mental health problem and to use their knowledge of mental health first aid to help this young person.

The instructors delivering the training have significant experience working with adolescents and in supporting various organisations and individuals with mental health problems.

The training will be held at the Richmond Foundation Training Center or can be held at the school if 15 or more educators and school staff apply from the same school.

The course consists of 14 contact learning hours which are delivered through 4 sessions of 3.5 hours each.

The sessions are delivered either across 2 days or over 4 morning or afternoon sessions.

Course Content
Mental health problems in Maltese youths
Adolescents Development
Mental Health First Aid and young people
Depression
Anxiety Problems
Eating Disorders
Psychosis
Substance Use
Mental Health Crises

Crisis Situations Covered:
Suicidal thoughts & behaviours
Non-suicial self-injury
Panic attacks
Traumatic event
Severe psychotic state
Severe effects from alcohol or other drug use
Aggressive behavior

• The Teen Mental Health First Aid course (2) is a program that teaches teenagers 16-18 years old how to support a friend who is experiencing mental health problems.
• It is complimentary to the adult course for teachers and this course runs over three classroom sessions of 75 minutes each at the post-secondary institution premises.
• The course emphasises the importance of young people getting an adult involved as quickly as possible where mental health problems might be suspected.
• The 3 sessions will be held over 2 weeks on non consecutive days.

The students need to fill in an individual registration form once their post secondary school registers to train its educators and other staff in contact with the students.

It is recommended that schools train approximately 10% of their educators and staff working with the students.