Mental Health First Aid Ireland

Mental Health First Aid Ireland Ireland’s sole licensed provider of Mental Health First Aid training. Our purpose is to deliver the Mental Health First Aid programme throughout Ireland.

Practical, evidence-based Adult and Youth programmes helping people recognise, respond and support. 35,000+ people trained across 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

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• Course content is derived from a number of consensus 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). Mental Health First Aid Ireland is a service of Saint John of God Hospital Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered Charity Number 20069858

06/09/2026

What if I say the wrong thing?

Sometimes worrying about finding the perfect words can become the reason we say nothing at all.

At Mental Health First Aid Ireland, we know these conversations are not about having a perfectly rehearsed response.

They are about noticing when someone may need support, reaching out with genuine concern and being prepared to listen.

You are not expected to have all the answers.

You are not expected to become someone’s therapist.

And you do not need to know exactly what to say before you check in.

In today’s conversation, Lauren Watters and Dr Amy Watchorn look at why fear of saying the wrong thing should not become a barrier to reaching out.

Sometimes starting with care and being willing to listen is enough to open the conversation.

***dePreventionDay

04/09/2026

What do I actually say?

It can be one of the hardest parts of reaching out when you are worried about someone.

At Mental Health First Aid Ireland, we know that noticing someone may need support is only the first step. Approaching them and starting the conversation can feel much more difficult.

You do not need a perfectly rehearsed opening line.

Start with what you have noticed and genuine concern for the person.

You might simply say:

“I’ve noticed you haven’t seemed yourself lately. How are things?”

Then give them the space to respond.

In today’s conversation, Lauren Watters and Dr Amy Watchorn look at how we can make that first step feel a little more manageable.

You do not need to have all the answers to start the conversation.

***dePreventionDay

03/09/2026

World Su***de Prevention Day takes place on 10 September.

At Mental Health First Aid Ireland, we know how important it is to be able to have difficult conversations about mental health and su***de. We also know that knowing a conversation matters does not always make it easy to start one.

What if I say the wrong thing?
Should I ask directly about su***de?
What do I do if someone tells me they are thinking about su***de?

Ahead of World Su***de Prevention Day, Lauren Watters, National Trainer for the Mental Health First Aid Ireland Adult Programme, and Dr Amy Watchorn, Senior Clinical Psychologist at St John of God University Hospital, sit down together to explore what “changing the narrative” can look like in practice.

Over the coming week, they will look at some of the questions people can find hardest when they are worried about someone, from how to begin the conversation to what to do next.

On 10 September, we will launch the full Worried about someone? What to say and what to do next conversation and practical guide.

Because sometimes the biggest barrier to starting the conversation is simply not knowing what to say.

Start the conversation. Change the narrative.

***dePreventionDay

02/09/2026

For 10 years, we’ve been helping Ireland have better conversations about mental health.

Over the coming weeks, mental health will be firmly in focus, from Green Ribbon Month to World Su***de Prevention Day and World Mental Health Day. These moments matter. They encourage people to speak openly, challenge stigma and check in on those around them.

But when someone does open up, knowing what to say and what to do next matters too.

For the past decade, Mental Health First Aid Ireland has been helping people build those skills. More than 35,000 people across Ireland have trained with us to recognise when someone may be struggling, respond with confidence and help connect them with the right support. After more than a decade, we thought it was time for a fresh look.

Over the coming weeks, you’ll start to see our refreshed Mental Health First Aid Ireland identity, with new branding for our Adult and Youth Programmes across everything we do. A sincere thank you to our team, associates, stakeholders and everyone who has helped shape this next chapter, and to Whitenoise for bringing it to life with such care, creativity and expertise.

The way we look may be changing. What matters most isn’t. We’ll keep helping people feel more confident recognising when someone may need support, starting the conversation and knowing what to do next.

10 years. More than 35,000 people trained. And many more conversations still to come.

***dePreventionDay

This September, Mental Health First Aid Ireland is proud to support Shine’s Green Ribbon Campaign and help get Ireland i...
01/09/2026

This September, Mental Health First Aid Ireland is proud to support Shine’s Green Ribbon Campaign and help get Ireland in Conversation.

Challenging mental health stigma starts with conversation, but knowing how to begin that conversation, what to say and how to listen can make a real difference.

Through Mental Health First Aid, we see the value of giving people the confidence, knowledge and practical skills to recognise when someone may be struggling and respond with empathy and understanding.

This Green Ribbon Month, we’re encouraging everyone to make space for better conversations about mental health.

Wear the Green Ribbon. Start a conversation. Listen without judgement.

Thank you to Freudenberg Medical for taking part in recent Mental Health First Aid training, facilitated by Leo O’Hara a...
31/08/2026

Thank you to Freudenberg Medical for taking part in recent Mental Health First Aid training, facilitated by Leo O’Hara and Teresa Keegan, and funded by VHI.

100% of participants also agreed that there was adequate opportunity to practise the skills taught during the two-day programme.

That practical element matters. Mental Health First Aid gives people space to build confidence, ask questions and think through how they would support someone in a real situation.

Our recent public Mental Health First Aid course brought together participants from CRH Group Services, Gaiety Theatre, ...
28/08/2026

Our recent public Mental Health First Aid course brought together participants from CRH Group Services, Gaiety Theatre, Ringsend & District Response to Drugs Centre, University of Notre Dame, The Davenport Hotel and President Fund Services Ireland.

Facilitated by Peter Connolly and Danny Cleary, the course prompted this reflection from one participant:
“I think this course is excellent, applicable to all backgrounds and age categories for a discussion around mental health.”

A good reminder that mental health conversations are relevant across every workplace, sector and community.

Mental Health First Aid training often opens up the conversations people know matter, but may not always feel equipped t...
26/08/2026

Mental Health First Aid training often opens up the conversations people know matter, but may not always feel equipped to have.

Thank you to CyberSentriq for taking part in a recent Vhi-funded course, facilitated by Helen O’Brien and Helena Dilleen.

Participants reflected on the value of covering a broad range of topics, including areas of mental health that are still often misunderstood, despite affecting many people.

That is where structured training matters: giving people the language, confidence and practical approach to recognise when someone may need support, respond appropriately and signpost to the right help.

Thank you to CyberSentriq, VHI and everyone who contributed to the course.

“It’s important to remember that we are signposting as opposed to fixing.”A simple line from recent Mental Health First ...
24/08/2026

“It’s important to remember that we are signposting as opposed to fixing.”

A simple line from recent Mental Health First Aid training with Etex Ireland that captures something essential about the course.

Mental Health First Aid is not about turning people into clinicians. It is about helping people recognise when someone may be struggling, respond with care, and guide them towards the right support.

Thank you to Etex Ireland for taking part, and to William O'Brien and Rebekkah Woolfson for facilitating the course.

Mental health support skills are built through practice, not theory alone.Congratulations to Irish Rail on completing th...
22/08/2026

Mental health support skills are built through practice, not theory alone.

Congratulations to Irish Rail on completing their second Mental Health First Aid course of 2026, facilitated by Christina Kenny and Ollie Barbour.

Across the two days, participants had the opportunity to develop and practise skills that can support safer, more confident conversations around mental health.

A sincere thank you to Irish Rail for continuing to invest in mental health literacy across your teams.

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Saint John Of God Hospital
Stillorgan
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