Courses

Courses

Mental Health First Aid & Awareness Courses Switzerland

Courses & Training Switzerland

2020 was no normal year. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the emerging challenge societies and organisations face around poor mental health.

Mental health challenges are common, debilitating, and lead to a reduction in well-being, life-quality and productivity.

In the workplace, the challenges of physical isolation, remote work, and widespread uncertainty have created new uncertainties for managers and leaders.  The need to maintain organizational culture, promote engagement and help employees to feel confident and skilled to deal with their own and colleagues mental health challenges has never been greater.

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With statistics showing that 1 in 4 people in Switzerland will experience a mental health condition in any given year, it has become more apparent that we are all touched by mental health challenges in some way. If it’s not ourselves, then it's our familes, friends, or colleagues. As leaders, we have a unique role to play.

Thankfully, mental ill-health isn’t a life sentence, and recovery is possible. Being proactive is vital. Prevention and building resilience are possible.

It is now crucial that we all better understand more about mental health in general, learn the skills to maintain and develop our own mental health, and to learn what to say and do when we notice those around us struggling or having a hard time.

  Just like it’s sometimes necessary to give first aid when someone has a physical health issue, so too it is sometimes necessary to provide support when someone has a mental, emotional or psychological health issue or crisis. It is no longer enough to rely on professionals for early intervention. 

Unfortunately, most everyday people don’t feel confident or equipped to initiate conversations around mental health due to stigma, misunderstanding or fear.

Sometimes we don’t know what to say, what to do, or where to turn for help and support. Becoming a qualified ENSA Mental Health First Aider gives you and your colleagues the tools, skills and confidence to strike up essential, intimate and potentially life-saving conversations. When you know the facts, you’ll never think about mental health in the same way again. 

Resilience Agenda is an official partner and provider of the recently launched ENSA Mental Health First Aid (Switzerland) program.

ENSA Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) has been running internationally for over 20 years.  It is scientifically validated to improve attitudes toward mental health, reduce stigma, and to promote help-seeking behaviour. It also encourages greater confidence to manage and improve our own and others well-being.

Over 3,000,000 people around the world are now MHFA qualified, and in 2020 ENSA Mental Health First Aid launched in Switzerland.

Resilience Agenda delivers high-quality, relevant, and relatable  mental health awareness and first aid training across Switzerland with our experienced team of instructors in English, German, and French.

Our instructors are experienced presenters, corporate leaders, and have all completed the ENSA Mental Health First Aid Trainer program.

Contact us to find out how we can help you take action on mental health today.

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Courses We Run

'Mental Health Aware' Intro Sessions

A 1 or 2 hour presentation covering the core principles of mental health awareness, factors influencing mental health, introduces the concept of 'The Mental Fitness Toolkit' as a way to manage and improve mental health, and covers process for having mental health conversations with others. We tailor the sessions to your needs, culture and goals to inspire people with new tools & skills.

ENSA Mental Health First Aid Courses

A 14 hour in-person (onsite) or remote (webinar) course that covers the essentials of recognising and supporting potential mental health issues in others. Participants come away with the confidence and skills to have vital mental health conversations and will earn a globally recognised qualification. This is available for adults in workplaces and for teachers & parents of young people.

'Mental Fitness Champions' Seminars

A 4 hour discussion-based workshop-style seminar for leaders and managers to learn the skills to create a Mental Fitness culture in a workplace or team. Managers learn the skills to better understand mental health and mental illness, support staff in need, and promote good mental health and understanding among the wider team. These seminars can include up to 24 participants per course.

Book a Course

Courses Overview

• The ENSA Mental Health First Aid Course empowers people to recognise the symptoms of poor mental health, de-stigmatize mental illness and to encourage people to seek appropriate support earlier rather than later.

• The course includes an overview of the common mental illnesses, factors that influence mental health, the unique situation for mental health in Switzerland, offers a distinction between ‘everyday’ and crisis situations, and discusses how stress and mental illhealth are related.

• Our small-group corporate courses include interactive elements including videos, role-plays, discussions, polls, Q&A, games and a variety of activities to create a stimulating and memorable learning environment.

What You'll Learn

• Over 14 hours you’ll become more confident in your skills and ability to understand, check-in and promote mental health with others.

• Techniques to approach and initiate conversations around mental health and mental illness with family, friends and colleagues.

• ENSA’s step-by-step ROGER model for noticing the signs of distress in others, initiating vital conversations, and guiding people to appropriate help or support.

• You will learn about proactive methods for managing mental health including concepts of recovery, resilience and positive self-care.

Five Steps to Take Action

  • Step 1 Choose to run either an introductory session, workshop, or ENSA MHFA course at your workplace or school.
  • Step 2 Contact us, tell us more about you, your goals, and objectives, then finalize dates, format, audience and prices.
  • Step 3 Select your participants internally and communicate with your team about what they'll learn.
  • Step 4 Attend your interactive course in person or online at a time that suits you, and develop the skills you need.
  • Step 5 Get certified and confidently become a qualified Mental Health First Aider or Mental Fitness Champion.
Contact Us

What people say

Hadleigh is the best in the business when it comes to presenting mental health in a relevant and interesting way. Highly recommend him.

Dale Sidebottom

CEO - Energetic Education International

Looking at mental health as mental fitness was a small but important switch for me. Then, learning the 5 pillers of well-being and using the simple daily planner allowed me to focus on aspects of my mental fitness one day, week and month at a time. Not overwhelming but targeted. Such a useful idea.

Leanne Simmons

Human Resources Manager, NSW

I would like to thank you for both great sessions you have delivered for our employees. They were really inspiring and helpful and I am sure they will have an impact on our daily life.

Giota Natsi

Global Benefits Manager - Phillip Morris International

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) ?

The key principle behind ENSA Mental Health First Aid is that non-medical ‘everyday people’ can encourage, support and assist people potentially experiencing poor mental health, stress or having other life issues to seek appropriate professional help and to deal with potentially critical and life-threatening situations.

Mental Health First Aiders learn a unique five-step model for identifying warning signs, communicating effectively, and helping those people who may be developing a mental health issue, experiencing a recurrence of an existing mental health issue or experiencing an acute mental health crisis. Just like we do with physical health and regular first aid.

Importantly, first aiders do not diagnose mental health issues and conditions, but rather learn to identify warning signs and take active steps to encourage people to get the help they need earlier rather than later, which leads to more effective prevention and treatments.

Approximately 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health issue this year in Switzerland. That means there’s a good chance a friend, colleague, family member, child or someone you meet on the street will be experiencing poor mental health.

Would you know what to say, what to do, and where to refer them for support? Doing something is always the right thing to do.

Why should I take the course myself or run the course at my workplace ?
  • Protect employee mental health through prevention and early intervention
  • Promote a mentally healthy workplace culture and support mechanisms
  • Give your people the tools and skills they need to support their colleagues, friends and families
  • Encourage help-seeking behaviour, self-help skills and generate awareness
  • Globally recognised qualification and accreditation
  • Scientifically-backed evidence that ENSA MHFA increase awareness, positive action and prevents the escalation of crises
Who is Mental Health First Aid for?
  • Managers, team leaders and anyone working with large teams in a professional setting.
  • Human Resources, People & Culture or Executives looking to create a culture of trust and care in the workplace.
  • Medical, nursing or social workers in the caring professions.
  • Customer service, front-line and employees in contact with the general public.
  • Teachers, coaches or community leaders.
  • Anyone interested in becoming a more understanding friend, colleague or partner.
How does Mental Health First Aid work?
  • 12 Hours of practical, instructor led training – delivered online or in groups up to 20
  • Includes two qualified instructors, workbooks for each participant, practical accessories, as well as all drinks, snacks and equipment provided (if necessary)
  • Maximum of 20 participants in each course – arrange a series of courses for your staff
  • Anyone over the age of 18 is able to become a Mental Health First Aider in Switzerland
  • Available in English, French or German
  • On completion of a short final written knowledge test, you will receive an official Mental Health First Aid Certificate
  • Receive a 50% credit on the cost of your course with SWICA health insurance
  • Speak to us to arrange rebates and discounts for multiple courses across different locations
What you will learn ?
  • An overview of mental health problems, treatments and support services in Switzerland, barriers to help, and pathways to prevention
  • The key facts, signs and symptoms for common mental illnesses including anxiety, depression, bipolar, eating-disorder, PTSD and psychosis
  • The MHFA five step ROGER model to assist someone you know or don’t know in a difficult life situation
  • Specific techniques, skills and strategies to effectively handle crisis and non-crisis mental health situations
  • How to talk about mental health without arousing resentment, conflict or stigma
Why choose Resilience Agenda ?
  • Official Licenced Provider and Partner to Pro Mente Sana across Switzerland & Liechtenstein.
  • Evidence-based – All our content is scientifically validated and supported. 
  • Expertise and results – we live, breathe and teach this stuff everyday
  • We have 25,000 supporters across the world who support our inspiring Mental Fitness approach to mental health.
  • Engaging, down-to-earth and instructors with lived experience of supporting those with mental health conditions
  • Flexible booking, language and payment terms
  • Competitive pricing – please get in touch to discuss options and how we can tailor our offer to your needs here 
  • We offer Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses in English, German, French & Italian across Switzerland
How much does it cost?

The ENSA Mental Health First Aid Course is CHF480 per person for 14 hours of training. That’s less than CHF35 per person per hour. 

We offer rebates and packages for organisations running multiple courses, or using our other products or services. 

Just ask us.

How do I choose which course to hold?

Your choice will be influenced by the existing knowledge within your organisation, the amount of time you can allocate for training, and your budget.

We offer 3 types of training. Our 1-2 hour awareness sessions are designed for a large audience and to introduce the topic of mental health to employees in an approachable way.

Our 4 hour course is a more in-depth and discussion-based session that equips people with the tools and skills they need to talk about and take action on mental health. These sessions can be focused on colleagues supporting each other, or focussed on managers supporting their teams.

Finally, our 14 hour ENSA MHFA courses are intensive deep-dives into mental health, mental illness and the skills to hold vital conversations with staff members.

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