Michelle Kleinert

Certified master trainer for MHFA

Michelle Kleinert OAM

Good Mental Health Melbourne

Introduction to MHFA Courses:

Around 1 in 5 Australian adults experience a common mental illness each year. Understanding how to talk about mental health and help someone in need are important skills. Many people feel uncomfortable and unprepared when thinking about starting a conversation with someone they are concerned about.

At a Mental Health First Aid course, you will learn how to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental health problems and learn the skills to feel confident and able to help. Having mental health first aid skills means that you can assist someone developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis and make a real difference to your community.

Mental ill health costs Australian workplaces $4.7 billion in absenteeism, $1.6 billion in presenteeism and $146 million in compensation claims per year. Only 22% of full-time workers with signs of common mental illness receive treatment for their mental health problems.

WorkSafe Victoria’s Requirements: (each state has equivalent)

Psychosocial Hazards
WorkSafe Victoria’s Occupational Health and Safety Act defines health to include psychological health, and employers must manage psychosocial hazards that can harm workers’ mental health.

All Businesses can demonstrate WorkSafe compliance by addressing psychosocial hazards and providing support for mental health through Mental Health First Aid training.

The Mental Health First aid course training will benefit all businesses to meet their regulatory requirements. All businesses by law are required to;

“Reduce the risk if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate it. This means doing everything that is reasonably practicable to reduce the risks.” (worksafe.vic.gov.au)

This course will not only mitigate risk but assist in creating a positive workplace culture.

Costs of Mental Illness:

Cost of absenteeism

$ 1 b

Cost in presenteeism

$ 0 b

Compensation claims pa

$ 0 m

Workers receiving needed care

< 0 %

Outcomes From The Course

Knowledge
Increase mental health literacy
De-Stigmatising
Decreases stigmatising attitudes

Confidence
Increases confidence in providing mental health first aid
Support
Increases the support provided to others

Mental Health in the Workplace

More and more workplaces are realising the impact of mental health problems at work on their people and productivity. Encouraging early help- seeking is one way to promote a mentally healthy workplace. This is where Mental Health First Aid can help.

Mental health first aid is an evidence-based training course which gives your employees the skills and confidence to have supportive conversations with their co-workers and help guide them to professional help if needed. It has been shown to increase knowledge, confidence and helping behaviours, and reduce stigma.

Evidence Based Course

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses (workplace and community courses) are based on evidence of what is best practice mental health first aid to support someone who has a mental health problem or is experiencing a mental health crisis. This evidence has been developed in partnership with the University of Melbourne, through developing Delphi method guidelines that cover a number of mental health problems, crises and in different contexts. All MHFA courses are
then evaluated, using rigorous scientific methods, to ensure they are having a positive impact.

These evaluations consistently show that MHFA training is associated with improved knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, knowledge of appropriate first aid strategies, and confidence in providing first aid to individuals with mental illness, benefits which are maintained over time. Some studies have also shown improved mental health in those who attend the training, decreases in stigmatising attitudes and increases in the amount and type of support provided to others.

International recognition, the Mental Health First Aid Program has been recognised with a number of Australian and international awards, including the THeMHS Medal. It has been recognised in the UK as an example of radical efficiency and has been listed in the USA by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on their National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).

What participants are saying about the training.

    
 
 
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   Kylie Hawkins 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Well worth the investment. Thanks Michelle and fellow classmates, this was wonderful.
  
 
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   Nanna Oliver 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Michelle was fantastic and explained the content of the course in such a way that it was easy to understand. the course was very informative and fun also. i enjoyed the interaction with my colleagues, the role playing was really good and professional
  
 
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   Stan Bailey 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. delivery of this course is amazing, and I walked away with newfound skills I never thought I would have, thank you for delivering such an amazing course.
  
 
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   what even 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Michelle is an amazing facilitator and made the experience comfortable and enriching. She's incredibly supportive and informative. Could not recommend her more. It was a great course and certainly has a lot of practical applications. It was a straightforward process to get certified and the study materials provided offered a comprehensive view of all relevant subtopics.
  
 
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   Susan Short 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Excellent program. Michelle was fabulous.
  
 
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   Lauren Conneely 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Michelle was an outstanding facilitator. She created such a friendly, supportive environment where everyone felt comfortable asking questions and practising new skills.

She explained everything clearly and did a fantastic job of helping us navigate the more complex and "prickly" situations with confidence and empathy.

I highly recommend Michelle to anyone completing Mental Health First Aid training.
  
 
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   Helena Chen 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. So dynamic, so real - so much more than reading a textbook. Practical life examples of how to handle real mental health conversations
  
 
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   Jade 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Michelle was an amazing facilitator, very bubbly, fun, down to earth and extremely knowledgeable and passionate about teaching mental health first aid. I highly recommend her to anyone who is wanting to do the mental health first aid course! Thankyou so much Michelle, you were a great facilitator!
  
 
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   Allison Penhale 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Thank you Michelle for a wonderful and interactive day. So practical and so well supported.
  
 
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   Rebecca Lyttle 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Highly engaging. Michelle presents with such passion and energy. A great course, highly recommended.

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Felicity Mclean

Michelle delivered an amazing course that had the whole group interacting throughout the whole session! I left feeling inspired, and eager to share my experience with becoming A mental health first aider and implementing it my profession! Thanks Michelle

Ava

Completing the Mental Health First Aid Course gave me the tools to recognise and respond to mental health challenges with confidence and compassion. Michelle Kleinert was incredible at delivering informative, practical and empowering training, it’s a valuable experience I would definitely recommend!

Mark Pearce

I just completed Michelle Kleinert’s course. What a brilliant presenter she is, always lively, informative and amusing. One of the best short courses I’ve ever done. Fantastic!!

Brigitte Riscica

Michelle Kleinart facilitated and presentated the course online and was absolutely amazing. She was very engaging and warm, creating a safe place for each of us as some of the content is quite deep. She had a great mix of anecdotes, experience, knowledge all delivered in a honest and warm and respectful way. I was very impressed with how she explained everything and I now feel very confident and equipped to recognise and detect many issues in mental health and how to best approach and support others. Will be recommending her course to anyone who will listen!!

One Doorway, as a Disability Organisation, is full of praise for the Mental Health First Aid Course run by the Mental Health Foundation of Australia. We have had more than 15 people attend the course and they are all full of praise for the trainer and the content. The course equips staff with the tools to help our participants and to engage with staff where they need to. Quotes from staff:

“A sincere thank you for enrolling me in the Mental Health First Aid course. It has been an incredibly valuable experience, and I’ve gained knowledge and skills that I can already see benefiting me both professionally and personally.”

“Just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to do the Mental Health First Aid course. It was an outstanding course.”

“The MHFA Course was an amazing experience, and I truly enjoyed both the two days training and the time I spent completing the pre-course modules. It’s such a valuable course and I highly recommend it to everyone.”

“I found the Mental Health First Aid training incredibly valuable. The skills I gained have supported me in both my professional and personal life. The course gave me the confidence and understanding to approach conversations about mental health, provide support, and guide people towards helpful resources. Michelle, our MHFA trainer, was extremely knowledgeable and responded to every question and discussion with the utmost professionalism. I strongly recommend these training sessions to anyone who works with people. Both myself and others in our organisation have found the course to be an invaluable experience.”

Other resources to support your organisation after completing Mental Health First Aid in your workplace;

Cathy Domoney of Psychological Safety at Work, is a Psychological Safety and Psychosocial Risk Consultant supporting Australian businesses to strengthen leadership, meet WHS obligations, and build high-performing, mentally healthy workplaces that drive productivity and sustainable success.