Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa

Mental Health First Aid isn't a nice-to-have.

It's critical capability.

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In two days, people learn how to recognise when someone is struggling, respond without judgement, and know what to do next. The way physical first aid prepares people for a medical emergency, this prepares them for the conversations too many of us still feel unready for.

Te Pou-accredited training for workplaces, communities, whānau and individuals across Aotearoa.

A Mental Health First Aid workshop group with their certificates

Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa is an internationally recognised, evidence-based programme. It teaches people how to support someone experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis, until the crisis resolves or specialist help is found.

It is delivered in 30 countries, with more than eight million people trained. In Aotearoa it is licensed by Te Pou, part of the Wise Group, and adapted for our cultural context with input from Māori, Pacific, clinical, and lived-experience advisors.

This is not therapy, and not a support group. It is education that helps people feel less helpless when someone needs them.

Why it matters

Good intentions are not a response plan.

Most people want to help when someone is struggling. The problem is they do not know what to say, what not to say, or how serious it is.

This training changes that. It gives people the confidence to step into hard conversations earlier, with more care and less fear of getting it wrong. Because one conversation can change a life, but only if someone feels ready to have it.

What you will learn

How to recognise the signs of common mental health challenges, including depression, anxiety, psychosis, and problematic substance use.
How to support someone in a crisis, including suicidal thoughts and behaviours, non-suicidal self-injury, panic attacks, traumatic events, severe psychosis, severe effects from alcohol or other substances, and aggressive behaviours.

The ALGEE action plan, a practical five-step framework:

AApproach, assess and assist with any crisis.
LListen and communicate non-judgementally.
GGive support and information.
EEncourage professional help.
EEncourage other supports.

Participants leave with practical tools, stronger language for hard conversations, and a nationally recognised accreditation as a Mental Health First Aider, valid for three years.

I would recommend this course to anyone in the workplace or for general knowledge. It is very helpful to have this kind of knowledge under your belt for your whānau and community.

MHFA workshop participant

Sharon's approach

Grounded in Te Whare Tapa Whā.

Te Whare Tapa Whā, the wellbeing model developed by Sir Mason Durie, sees health as a whare with four walls: taha tinana (physical), taha hinengaro (mental and emotional), taha wairua (spiritual), and taha whānau (family and social), all standing on whenua, our connection to the land.

For Sharon, this is not a slide in the deck. It is the lens that keeps the work honest, focused on the whole person, their whānau, and the conditions shaping their wellbeing.

Te Whare Tapa Whā, drawn as a wharenui with four walls: taha wairua, our spiritual wellbeing; taha hinengaro, our mental and emotional wellbeing; taha tinana, our physical health and wellbeing; and taha whānau, our whānau, family and social wellbeing — all standing on whenua, our connection to the land and our roots. — Te Whare Tapa Whā · Sir Mason Durie

A two-day interactive workshop, 9am to 4:30pm both days. Available three ways: public workshops, in-house workplace training, and community or whānau group delivery.

Onsite delivery for groups of 10 to 20. In person, across Aotearoa. Sharon is based in Whangārei and travels nationwide.

Three ways to train

A workplace group at the Whangārei Anglican Care Centre after Mental Health First Aid training

For workplaces

Make Mental Health First Aid non-negotiable.

If a staff member was physically injured at work, you would not leave your team guessing what to do. Mental health should be no different.

This training gives your people the skills to recognise when a colleague is struggling, respond early, and support them toward the right help. It strengthens psychological safety, reduces stigma, and helps your team act before issues escalate.

With one in five New Zealanders affected each year, this capability belongs in your annual plan, not on a wish list. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, managing psychosocial risk is a duty, and MHFA is a recognised, practical way to meet it.

Workplaces that train their staff can also earn bronze, silver, or gold status through the MHFA Aotearoa Workplace Recognition Programme, and display it on their website, social channels, and email signatures.

Let's have a kōrero about your team

A community and whānau group at a Mental Health First Aid training

For communities & whānau

Build capability in the people who are already there.

The people best placed to help are often already in the room. Teachers, coaches, community workers, aunties, mates, whānau.

This training helps them feel ready. Sharon's community delivery is practical, culturally grounded, and shaped by the realities communities already carry. She has trained schools, emergency housing teams, tertiary providers, and community organisations across Te Tai Tokerau.

Community and whānau rates are available on request. Ask Sharon about pricing, or start with a kōrero to see if you are right for each other.

Let's have a kōrero Ask about pricing

Public workshop participants with their Mental Health First Aid certificates

Public workshops

Get accredited. Be ready.

Public workshops are open to anyone over 18. Some come for the accreditation. Some support people through work, sport, school, or community roles. Some come because mental health has touched their own life and they want to be ready for the people they love.

Whatever brings you here, you leave with practical skills, a nationally recognised accreditation, and the confidence to use it. Two days, in person, in Whangārei.

Ask Sharon for pricing and upcoming dates, and she will come back to you directly.

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Common questions

Is Mental Health First Aid the same as therapy?

No. It is not therapy and not a support group. It is education that helps people support someone experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis, until the crisis resolves or specialist help is found.

How long is the training?

A two-day interactive workshop, 9am to 4:30pm both days.

Who is the training for?

Workplaces, communities, whānau and individuals across Aotearoa. Public workshops are open to anyone over 18.

Is it accredited?

Yes. It is Te Pou-accredited, and participants leave with a nationally recognised accreditation as a Mental Health First Aider, valid for three years.

Where is it delivered?

In person across Aotearoa. Sharon is based in Whangārei and travels nationwide, with onsite delivery for groups of 10 to 20.

How much does it cost?

Pricing depends on whether it is a workplace, community, or public delivery. Get in touch and Sharon will send you current pricing for your situation.

Equip your people. Strengthen your community.

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