Education4Health specialises in offering a wide range of mental health related educational programmes. This includes the accredited MHFA courses, Resilience programmes, and Stress Management workshops as well as personalised training to suit an organisation’s individual requirements.
We work with individuals, educational organisations, charities and corporate organisations on a local, national and global basis.
Education4Health is the former training arm of the award-winning health clinic Healthcare on Demand. It was set up by medical educator and lecturer Jane Nathan in 2014 after her experience of trying to obtain suitable mental health care for a member of her own family. She soon realised however, that the best way to help people with mental health issues was to reach them before they became ill.
Jane draws on her own experience to inform her sessions – experience as a lecturer in higher education, as a clinical scientist in the development of new medicines, as a global medical education professional and, latterly, in running a multidisciplinary mental health clinic. Initially, she began working with people and organisations locally and then, as her reputation spread, further afield. Before long she was being asked to develop and deliver bespoke training on all aspects of mental health and set up Education4Health to focus on this rapidly growing area.
The goal is simple: to improve awareness and understanding of mental health and wellbeing to enable individuals and teams to better help the people around them.
Book a live virtual Introductory MHFA training course. Our introductory courses on mental health in adults or youth are programmes designed to raise awareness of mental health.
Book a classroom-based MHFA course for individuals. Our two day courses will qualify participants as a Certified Mental Health First Aider or Certified Youth Mental Health First Aider.
Book an in-house MHFA training course for your organisation. The course can be delivered on site, reducing travel costs and time out of the office, and tailored to your specific requirements.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for children, young people and schools in higher education for adults in the workplace
The internationally recognised MHFA courses provide an accessible way to improve mental health awareness and skills through either a half day introduction or whole day courses over one or two days. They focus on the key areas of mental health and wellbeing across all ages: from children and young people through to adulthood. Each course is tailored for its specific audience but they also have many common themes and will help individuals to:
- recognise and identify the early signs of a mental health problem
- provide help on a first aid basis and protect someone who may be at risk of harm
- help guide someone towards the right support and reduce the stigma of mental health problems
In addition, the courses cover the effects of drugs and alcohol on mental health and consider more complex issues such as psychosis, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Sessions involve a mix of presentations, discussion and group work activities. The number attending is limited because the content can be sensitive at times and to allow every individual to work with our trainer through any questions and concerns they may have.
Each delegate receives a copy of the MHFA manual and work book along with a certificate acknowledging the level of course completed.
MHFA Youth (children, young people and schools)
There is never a better time to support someone’s mental health and wellbeing than when they are young.
Emotional distress is shockingly common:
- One in ten young people have a diagnosable mental health condition.
- In an average classroom of 15-year-olds, three may be experiencing a mental health issue, ten may have seen their parents separate, seven are likely to have been bullied and one may have been bereaved by one of their parents.
- Half of mental health problems are established by the age of 14.
- Three quarters of mental health problems are established by the age of 24.
- Mentally healthier children perform better at school.
Young people need support. If you’re a parent, relative, guardian, teacher, carer, youth worker – anyone who works with, or comes into regular contact with children and young people – then you’re at the front line.
You may be able to help and these courses are for you.
They will teach you how to recognise and identify the early signs of a mental health problem, provide first aid and help a young person to access the support they need.
You will become part of the wellbeing solution by reducing the stigma associated with mental health problems, making the environment that you live and work in more mentally healthy and improving your own mental awareness in the process.
MHFA Higher Education
Going to university can be a stressful time for even the most resilient of young adults. For many, it’s the first time they will have lived away from home. They will be managing academic pressures with financial responsibility and may have concerns about debt and their future.
It’s a time when mental health problems can surface for the first time, or existing ones can worsen.
- Suicide rates among students have almost doubled in the last ten years.
- The number of students dropping out of university courses over the last ten years has tripled.
- 78% of students reported experiencing mental health issues in the last year.
- Less than 50% of them had asked for help.
But it’s not just students.
Academics are more prone to mental health disorders than those working in other professions. Two thirds of academics with mental health issues say their ill health is directly related to work.
It’s an environment that is prone to stress and uncertainty and both students and academics need support. If you work or study in a university or college you may be able to help and these courses are for you.
They will teach you how to recognise and identify the early signs of a mental health problem, provide first aid and help someone to access the support they need.
You will become part of the wellbeing solution by reducing the stigma associated with mental health problems, making the environment that you live, work and study in more mentally healthy and improving your own mental awareness in the process.
MHFA Workplace
Not only does mental ill health come at a great cost to the individual, but to businesses as well. Someone struggling with a mental health problem may be less productive, the quality of their work may decline or they may need to take time off sick. If they are dealing with such difficulties in isolation, this can magnify the problem, making it harder to carry on.
Businesses are becoming more aware of the need to support their staff across the whole spectrum of ill health whether it is physical or mental. However mental ill health can be harder to identify in the workforce. One study has shown that 95% of workers who take time off sick for stress give a different reason for their absence.
- 5 million working days are lost in the UK annually due to work-related stress, anxiety or depression.
- Mental ill health cost UK employers £42bn in 2016.
- That’s equal to £1,300 per employee.
- 15% of employees show symptoms of a mental health condition.
- However, mental health training has shown a return of £10 for every £1 spent.
Businesses and employees benefit from enhanced mental health awareness and training. If you’re running a business, whether in a leadership, line management or HR capacity, these courses are for you.
They will teach you how to recognise and identify the early signs of a mental health problem, provide first aid and help someone to access the support they need.
You will become part of the wellbeing solution by reducing the stigma associated with mental health problems, making your working environment more mentally healthy and improving your own mental awareness in the process.
MHFA Adult
In recent years we have all become more aware of the issue of mental ill health. We are only now beginning to understand the importance of maintaining good mental health. There is a greater degree of openness on the topic and some of the stigma is lifting. But there is a long way to go and it can still be difficult for people to be honest about their mental health challenges and to know how and where to seek help.
- One in four people in the UK experience a mental health issue each year.
- Mixed anxiety and depression is the most common form of mental health problem.
- The amount of people self-harming or having suicidal thoughts is increasing.
- There are over 6,000 suicides in the UK each year – three quarters of whom are men.
- Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50.
Although there is a greater prevalence of mental health difficulties among the poorer and more disadvantaged, no-one is immune. Even if you haven’t experienced it yourself, you probably know someone who is dealing with depression, anxiety or another mental health problem. If you want to help those around you, then these courses are for you.
They will teach you how to recognise and identify the early signs of a mental health problem, provide first aid and help someone to access the support they need.
You will become part of the wellbeing solution by reducing the stigma associated with mental health problems, making the environment that we live and work in more mentally healthy and improving your own mental health awareness in the process.
91 million
working days are lost each year in the UK due to mental health issues.
74 % of people
in the UK this year have been so stressed they have felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Age 14
Half of mental health problems are established by the age of 14.
Age 24
Three quarters of mental health problems are established by the age of 24.
Bespoke mental health training for organisations of any size
Increasingly, organisations want to tailor training to suit their requirements either for logistical reasons or because their sector has specific information needs. This might include stress management or topics about the impact of, and how to deal with, social media and the digital world for example.
Having worked with many different organisations, Jane Nathan has developed a portfolio of talks and workshops that can be selected and tailored to suit the audience.
Alternatively, Jane can prepare a bespoke session to meet a client’s specific brief.
Jane’s experience of working within the field of mental health and as an activist, working to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues and improving access to help, means that she understands the problems faced by individuals and organisations. Her background in medical education, clinical research and as a lecturer means that she can assimilate the research and current best practices to prepare the materials required to deliver effective training.
She is a lively and effective trainer who puts people at ease and helps them to develop their skills and understanding of what can be, at times, a complex and distressing subject.
Testimonials
“Jane Nathan came highly recommended to us and we were not disappointed. Jane provided two highly engaging days for our team of Relational Support Workers and Counsellors. The result was a team clear on the issues, engaged and encouraged to help those that they support and equipped to do it well. “
“Your course was excellent in content and expertly delivered. I can honestly say that it is the best training course I have ever been on. Not only did it equip me with the skills to recognise and assist those in need but it also helped me recognise and assist my own needs.”
“Excellent presentation – very practical – lovely pace.”
“Jane Nathan was a great speaker who knew her subject and delivered it with the right empathy.”
“The session was excellent, a big thank you to those who put this together.”
“Thank you so much for the very good course last week and these bountiful follow up emails. It was really informative and great to have you leading it as such a source of expert knowledge and astute wisdom. Thanks also for the personal commitment you make to this course, and sharing with us as you did. Narratives are such an important tool if we are to change the landscape and culture of dialogue around mental health. ”
MHFA ACCREDITED
