Mental health literacy vs Mental Health First Aid: what is the difference?

Mental health literacy

• Who: students, staff and parents - the whole community.
• Goal: shared understanding and language, less stigma, earlier help-seeking.
• Format: ongoing lessons and sessions, built into school life.

Mental Health First Aid

• Who: selected adults.
• Goal: confidence to notice, approach and support someone in distress until professional help is in place.
• Format: a structured course, often with an external certificate.

How they fit together in a school

When students have the words and permission to speak up, more concerns reach adults. That makes it essential that the adults know how to respond. Let's Be Real offers both: Mental Health Literacy for the whole community, and Youth Mental Health Response, our MHFA-informed, school-specific response training.

More questions from school leaders ask

• How to build a whole-school mental health strategy
• What should a school mental health policy include?
• Mental Health First Aid vs school-specific response training
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