Mental Health First Aid vs school-specific response training
What MHFA does well
MHFA courses give a solid foundation: recognising common conditions, starting a supportive conversation and signposting help. They are widely recognised and useful for many workplaces.
What schools need in addition
- Adolescent development and how distress shows up in young people aged 9 to 18.
- Safeguarding: what must be passed on, to whom and when.
- Classroom reality: responding in two minutes between lessons, not in a quiet office.
- Your own pathways: the counsellor, the safeguarding lead and local services.
- Different roles: what a tutor, a coach and a school leader each need to do.
How to choose
Ask what you want staff to be able to do on Monday morning. If the answer involves your students, your policy and your referral routes, choose training designed for schools. Our Youth Mental Health Response training is MHFA-informed and leads to the LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate, issued by Let's Be Real.
2. Respond
Youth Mental Health Response
Our MHFA-informed training gives staff a shared, practised way to notice, respond and hand over, leading to the LBR Youth Mental Health Response Certificate.
Explore Youth Mental Health Response