Mental Health First Aid Ireland

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Mental Health First Aid Ireland

Mental Health First Aid Ireland is a service of Saint John of God Hospital Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered Charity Number 20069858

Our purpose is to deliver the Mental Health First Aid programme throughout Ireland. The MHFA course is a 12-hour course (4 modules, each 3 hours) that teaches people how to assist someone who is developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crises. Course participants receive a copy of the MHFA Manual and a Certificate of Completion.

• Course content is derived from a number of consens

us studies incorporating the expertise of hundreds of researchers, clinicians, service user advocates and carer advocates across the English speaking western world.
• The programme has been extensively evaluated and found to be effective in
o improving mental health literacy
o reducing stigma
o increasing helping behaviours and
o Improving participants’ own mental health.
• These evaluations have been carried out in the workplace and community settings.
• MHFA is included in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence Based Programmes and Practices (United States).

15/06/2026

Thank you to Bank of Ireland participants who recently completed Mental Health First Aid training, facilitated by Natalie Treacher and Bill Cunningham MSc, FRSA, GMBPsS, MPsSI.

Feedback from the course was exceptionally strong, with 100% of participants strongly agreeing that the course material was easy to understand and relevant to their training needs.

Mental Health First Aid training gives participants a clear, practical framework to better understand mental health, recognise when someone may be experiencing difficulty, and respond in a supportive and appropriate way.

Well done to everyone who took part.

10/06/2026

On Sunday, Jacqui Mulligan, Project Coordinator for The Working Mind, joined Clare McKenna on Ireland AM to discuss why workplace mental health training is needed now more than ever.

The Working Mind is designed to help organisations move beyond awareness and build practical mental health capability across teams.

At the centre of the programme is a simple but powerful idea: mental health is not fixed. We all move along a continuum, and when people have the language to recognise where they are, understand what they may need and respond earlier, workplaces become better equipped to support people before pressure reaches crisis point.

The conversation also highlighted the continued importance of reducing stigma at work. Many people still find it difficult to speak openly about mental health, particularly in professional settings. The Working Mind gives organisations a shared framework for these conversations, supporting greater confidence, earlier intervention and a more informed workplace culture.

Thank you to Clare McKenna and Ireland AM for continuing this important conversation, and to Jacqui for leading this work in Ireland.

For organisations interested in learning more about The Working Mind™, please contact [email protected].

09/06/2026

Workload is not just an operational issue. It is a workplace mental health issue.

For HR leaders, people teams and those shaping workplace culture, the challenge is no longer whether mental health belongs in the workplace conversation. It is whether organisations are giving people the language, confidence and practical tools to recognise pressure early and respond well.

The Working Mind helps organisations move beyond awareness by supporting employees and teams to better understand mental health, reduce stigma, recognise when pressure is building and have more confident conversations before challenges escalate.

Our upcoming open course dates are a practical opportunity for organisations to experience the programme before considering wider rollout.

Limited places remain for the following dates:
17 June
25 June

To book a place or discuss organisational training options, please contact Jacqui Mulligan, Project Coordinator for The Working Mind, at [email protected]

08/06/2026

Our recent public Mental Health First Aid courses brought together participants from a wide range of organisations and sectors, including the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, ENERCON Windfarm Services, H&MV Engineering, SOTI Ireland, T&I Fitouts, Cancer Trials Ireland, National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, Hana Group, MOY Group, Adare Manor, Dairygold Co-Operative Society Ltd, Brennan & Co, Impax Asset Management and O'Flynn Medical.

Public courses offer individuals and organisations a practical route into Mental Health First Aid training, particularly where teams may not yet be ready for a dedicated in-house course or where a small number of staff would benefit from being trained.

Thank you to Angela Killion, Clare Murphy, Barbara Louise Brennan and Brian Broderick for facilitating such engaged and constructive learning across the sessions.

To learn more about upcoming public courses, visit mhfaireland.ie or email [email protected]

07/06/2026

It has been one week since we officially launched The Working Mind in Ireland, and the response since then has been hugely encouraging.

The conversations following the launch have reinforced just how many organisations are looking for practical, evidence-based ways to support mental health at work. Not just through awareness campaigns, but through the everyday skills, confidence and shared language that help people recognise pressure earlier and respond well.

The Working Mind is a one-day workplace mental health programme designed to help teams:
• Better understand mental health and how it can change over time
• Reduce stigma in workplace conversations
• Recognise when pressure is building
• Build practical strategies to manage stress
• Support more confident conversations across teams

For organisations, it offers a practical way to strengthen workplace culture and equip people to support themselves, their colleagues and their teams before challenges escalate.

We have limited places remaining on our upcoming open courses:

17 June
25 June

These are suitable for organisations that would like to experience The Working Mind before considering wider training for their teams.

To book a place, discuss organisational training or learn more, please contact Jacqui Mulligan, Project Coordinator for The Working Mind, at [email protected]

05/06/2026

Are you looking for a new opportunity in mental health education?

Mental Health First Aid Ireland is recruiting a Training Co-Ordinator to support the continued growth and delivery of our programmes across Ireland. This role may suit someone with experience or a strong interest in workplace mental health, workplace wellbeing, training, enablement, learning and development, or programme coordination.

As the only licensed provider of Mental Health First Aid training in Ireland, MHFA Ireland works with organisations, communities and sectors nationwide to build practical skills, improve mental health literacy and support safer, more informed conversations around mental health.

If you are passionate about high-quality training, mental health education and meaningful programme delivery, we would welcome your application.
Apply at the link in our bio

03/06/2026

Wishing every student beginning exams this week the very best of luck.

Exam time can bring pressure, nerves and uncertainty. For the adults supporting young people, the most helpful response is often simple: check in, listen without judgement, encourage rest, and remind them that their wellbeing matters far beyond any result.

At Mental Health First Aid Ireland, we know that recognising when someone may be struggling and knowing how to respond in a calm, supportive and appropriate way can make a real difference.

To students, families, teachers and everyone offering support over the coming weeks: take it one step at a time.

Results matter. But young people matter more.

02/06/2026

The conversation didn’t stop at the launch.

Following last week’s Irish launch of The Working Mind, Jacqui Mulligan joined Clare McKenna on Newstalk Alive and Kicking on Newstalk to talk about what the programme brings to workplaces, and why these skills are needed now.

The Working Mind is about giving people a practical way to understand mental health at work. How to recognise when pressure is building. How to talk about it without stigma. How to support ourselves and each other before things reach crisis point.

Thank you to Clare for continuing the conversation, and to Jacqui for leading this work as Project Coordinator for The Working Mind in Ireland.

Listen here: https://www.goloudplayer.com/episodes/alive-and-kicking-full-episode-3-MTNhNzA3MmVmMzlmY2JiMTdiNDA1ZDA2MDYxZTg1MmI=

30/05/2026

Congratulations to the teams from Easons Ltd and Dubray Books on completing Mental Health First Aid training.

It is encouraging to see organisations investing in practical, skills-based mental health education and equipping their teams with the confidence to recognise, respond and guide someone towards appropriate support.

Thank you to all participants for your engagement and commitment throughout the course.

28/05/2026

Last night, Mental Health First Aid Ireland was proud to officially launch The Working Mind in Ireland at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, with the support of St John of God University Hospital.

For more than 10 years, Mental Health First Aid Ireland has helped individuals, communities and organisations across Ireland build the skills and confidence to respond to mental health challenges safely and compassionately. Last night marked an important next step in that work, as we introduced a new evidence-based workplace mental health programme designed to help organisations to change how people think, feel and act about mental health at work. Throughout the evening, we had honest and timely conversations about stigma, burnout, psychological safety, the reality of workplace pressure and the people often holding teams together.

A sincere thank you to The Working Mind's Project Coordinator, Jacqui Mulligan, our panel speakers, Professor Brendan Kelly, Clare McKenna, Alan Quinlan, for bringing such openness, honesty and insight to the discussion.

Thank you also to Chad Scanlan and the team at Opening Minds | Advancing Mental Wellness for their ongoing support and partnership in helping bring The Working Mind to Ireland. Making us the first in Europe to deliver this programme.

We are proud to continue building on the work Mental Health First Aid Ireland has led for over a decade by bringing The Working Mind to workplaces across Ireland.

Address

Saint John Of God Hospital
Stillorgan
18

Website

http://www.mhfaIreland.ie/

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