Additional Comments

Instructors were positive, well-prepared, and

informative. Fantastic job!!
The (instructors) created a very safe and
inviting environment. They did such a great
job instructing on such a difficult/sensitive
topic. Thank you!
This is such an important issue thank you
for the opportunity to be better educated,
informed, and for being an advocate
Excellent course, very informative; will be
helpful for any position at the college.
When asked what do you consider the
strengths of this course the majority of
participants felt that the strengths of the
course included its highly interactive nature,
the facilitation style of the insturctors, and
the great resources to be its highlights.

Having facilitators who are knowledgeable,

who share tangible examples, who are
caring individuals delivering the material in
an understandablenot so medical/clinical
but clear for the entire group.
The participant guide is a great resource.
The variety of teaching methods made it
easier to absorb information.

The manner of the main presenters was

excellent, offering very applicable examples
from their own professional experiences. This
added validity to the course content.
Every faculty member should attend. It
would help them understand not every
student is just lazy. It would help them be
more sensitive before being judgmental.

Where Respondents Heard

about MHFA

College for Professional and

Organization Development
CEPD email
Co-workers and Management

Facilitators

It was very well presented. It is a serious

and sensitive area that was presented
respectfully, informatively

Jennifer Babin, Acting Manager

Penny McKee, College Nurse
Christine Philbrick, College Nurse

Highly informative, well presented.

For more information please contact the

Student Success Center at ext. 4408/4409 or
CPOD (Kristine Katrynuk) at ext. 7776.

Wide variety of information and super

presenters. Many topics are difficult to talk
about but (the presenters) were
exceptionally respectful and understanding.

PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
FOR STAFF AND
FACULTY

Niagara College

MHFA aims to:

What is Mental Health First Aid?

MHFA is the help provided to a person
developing a mental health problem or
experiencing a mental health crisis. Just as
physical first aid is administered to an
injured person before medical treatment can
be obtained, MHFA is given until
appropriate treatment is found or until the
crisis is resolved.
The MHFA Canada program aims to
improve mental health literacy, and provide
the skills and knowledge to help people
better manage potential or developing
mental health problems in themselves, a
family member, a friend or a colleague.
The program does not teach people how to
be therapists. It does teach people how to:

Recognize the signs and symptoms of

mental health problems.
Provide initial help.
Guide a person towards appropriate
professional help.

Preserve life where a person may be a

danger to themselves or others.
Provide help to prevent the mental
health problem from developing into a
more serious state.
Promote the recovery of good mental
health.
Provide comfort to a person
experiencing a mental health issue.

Very valuable. (I) feel more

prepared to deal with situations
that may arise from a mental
health perspective.
Modules Course Outline
MHFA is a 16 hour course with various
delivery options. Topics of discussion include:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Mental Health & Mental Health Problems

Mood Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Psychotic Disorders

And crisis first aid skills for the following

situations are taught:

Substance overdose
Suicidal behavior
Panic attacks
Acute stress reactions
Psychotic episodes

The initial feedback questionnaire concludes that the MHFA

course was well received and that participants found the course
content and its delivery beneficial.

Qualitative Feedback
When asked what is your overall response to
the course the majority of comments were
overwhelmingly positive, specifically relating
to the knowledge gained and the overall
nature of the course. There were many
comments stating that this training would be
helpful for any position at the college.

Great idea to reduce stigma. Would be

great for all staff to attend.
Highly interactive and professional, fun and
loaded with resources. LOVED IT!!!
Positive. I feel much more confident about
my response in these situations.
I gained a lot of content knowledge. I see
my students in a different light now and I
feel better equipped to deal with their
issues.