This is a 2-DAY, ONLINE training open to anyone in Canada. Time Zones are as follows:

• Pacific: 9:00am-1:00pm both days 
• Mountain: 10:00am-2:00pm both days
• Central: 11:00am-3:00pm both days
• Eastern: 12:00-4:00pm both days
• Atlantic: 1:00-5:00pm both days
• Newfoundland: 1:30-5:30pm both days

Within 2 weeks of the training, you will receive an email with more information about the training, including instructions for completing the self-paced online module before the start of the training.

Rates

• $275 - Organizational Support: For organizations purchasing tickets for employees, or individuals with access to over $50,000 in cash or liquid assets. Please contact us at info@the-kaleidoscope.com if this rate is out of reach for your organization. We will consider discounted rates for smaller, grassroots organizations
  
  • $1,100 - Workplace Bundle of 5 (5 tickets for the price of 4): Discount for organizations purchasing tickets for 5 employees.

• $200 - Full Cost: Support the true value of our training. Reduced rate for persons funding their own professional development out of pocket and other, or for people with savings over $5,000 and/or ample spending money for non-essentials.

• $150.00 - Sustain (Student / Low Income): Covers most of our costs. This rate is for someone able to meet their basic needs with a little extra money leftover. 
  

• $80.00 - Solidarity rate: For community members committed to our work who are poor, disabled, working paycheck-to-paycheck or may not stand to inherit wealth. Please contact us at info@the-kaleidoscope.com if this rate is out of reach for you.

If you would like to register without the added fee, please email info@the-kaleidoscope.com for e-transfer information.

Our facilitator: Tracy Windsor

In my Mental Health First Aid courses, I value fostering a safe(r) environment, drawing from the experience and expertise of the class participants, and encouraging an open dialogue conducive to learning, unlearning and relearning. I hope you come away from the course with both a greater understanding of how to support others in your life, as well as what mental wellbeing means for you.

I teach MHFA from the perspective of lived experience. I was diagnosed with a severe mental illness in 2008, which completely disrupted the trajectory of my life and who I thought I was as a person. I soon got involved in peer support initiatives where I got to meet people who had had experiences similar to mine. I felt extremely ashamed when I was first diagnosed, and the last thing I wanted to do was speak publicly about my experience, but I joined a speaker's bureau with a crew who spoke publicly about their lived experiences of the way mental health problems have impacted our lives. This opening up was gateway to living a more fulfilling and meaningful life, and I grew a passion for talking about mental health (both my own and generally), increasing mental health literacy, and ultimately building a community that is more accepting and supportive towards those who experience mental health concerns.

Personally and professionally, I am engaged in research exploring various facets that promote and support mental health and wellbeing, and I am in the process of completing a Master of Social Work. I have experience as a Peer Support Coordinator within a healthcare authority, I have been involved with The Kaleidoscope Mental Health Support Society since 2011, facilitating peer support groups, and I have been President of the organization since 2016.

I believe a cultural shift towards greater awareness, acceptance and responsiveness to people experiencing mental health concerns is needed in our society. Affordable access to Mental Health First Aid is an important step in realizing this shift in our personal and professional lives, and I offer a sliding scale for people facing financial barriers. Please email us at info@the-kaleidoscope.com if our rates are still not accessible to you.

Mental Health First Aid

The Mental Health Commission of Canada reports that one in every five Canadians experiences a mental health problem within a given year. While we often know a lot about physical illness, there tends to be less knowledge about mental health or substance use problems. This lack of understanding leads to fear and negative attitudes towards individuals living with these problems. It prevents people from seeking help for themselves and from providing appropriate support to people around them. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem, experiencing a mental health crisis, or a worsening of their mental health.

In a recent major Canadian study, 82% of responding organizations ranked mental health conditions in their top three causes of short term disability (72% for long-term).

30% of all short and long term disability claims are due to mental health problems and illnesses.

Outcomes of MHFA training:

• Significantly greater recognition of the most common mental health illnesses and problems
• Decreased social distance from people with mental health illnesses or problems
• Increased confidence in providing help to others
• Demonstrated increase in helpful actions

"I have gained a greater awareness and understanding of Mental Health issues. I have also gained a confidence within myself as a professional to recognize, empathize and provide supports to individuals with mental health barriers."

MHFA in Your Workplace

Workplace first aid includes mental health.

Just as physical first aid is administered to an injured person before medical treatment can be obtained, MHFA is given until appropriate treatment is found or until the crisis is resolved.

MHFA Evidence Base

Mental Health First Aid is an international program proven to be effective. Peer-reviewed studies published in multiple countries including Australia, where the program originated, show that individuals trained in the program:

• Increase their knowledge of signs, symptoms and risk factors of mental health problems
• Decrease the social distance between themselves and someone with a mental health problem
• Increase their confidence to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis
• Can identify professional and self-help resources for individuals with a mental health problem
• Show increased mental wellness themselves