I became an MHFA instructor in 2019. There has been mental illness in the family, and in my efforts to understand it better, I realized that more people need to equip themselves with the awareness and basic skills required to identify signs of poor health so that they can seek help for themselves or their loved ones. My corporate professional avatar required me to train and facilitate change in organizations, so the basic foundation for facilitation has always been there. However, even after being an instructor for over 4 years now, it still nourishes me to empower others with the knowledge and basic skills required to be a first aider.

The structure of the Standard MHFA program is in line with global protocols, but the India team has spent time and rigorous effort to bring the Indian context and accurate data into the program content. Because I believe in the efficacy and credibility of the content and the program structure, I have no hesitation in endorsing the MHFA certification to anyone who wants to be a first aider.
The instructor program is well thought out and gave me the confidence to manage a workshop on my own, as it is well supported by senior colleagues at MHFA India.
During the pandemic, I really thought that at a time we needed it most, we would be unable to train first aiders, but the India team buckled down and produced the online e-learning program, which is quite powerful and permits us to roll out training to groups in different locations. There was a lot of internal support from the team in the facilitation of the online sessions.
I must mention that the facilitator guides developed by MHFA India for instructors, both for the in-person and online programs, are world-class and very user-friendly. I find them useful even now!
-Cauvery Devika Dharmaraj
Instructor, June 2019 batch

I embarked on the journey to become an MHFA instructor two years ago. Being a practicing mental health professional for over 20 years, I expected the course to be a simple review of my already established knowledge. I was pleasantly surprised. While the content of the program is certainly something, I am well versed in the manner in which it is presented, how the information flows, using language and examples that are relevant and easily understandable by the general public, is brought forth very well in the program. The robustness of the materials, which are well-researched, relatable, and engaging activities that stimulate the participants to think beyond their preconceived notions is particularly powerful. As an instructor, I particularly value the structured and well-put-together materials, power points, and guides that make the process of delivery seamless. There is also great support from the MHFA team in learning management and operations. While the program is heavy in content, time, and engagement involved, there has not been one participant in the many trainings I have done who has not appreciated the experience and training and expressed increased empathy around mental health conditions. It has indeed been a hugely gratifying journey as an MHFA instructor.

A couple of years ago, when I was at the crossroads of my career transition, I looked at various possible options of whether to start my consultancy or to tie up with some organizations to deliver the much-needed mental health training programs, etc. At that point, I came across the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) India organization, which I found to be offering the best of both worlds, having tied up with MHFA India and delivering trainings as well as pitching to the corporates and getting direct projects from them. This made me explore my journey with MHFA.

When I applied for the MHFA Instructor role, Ms. Erinda Shah (Founder and Managing Director of MHFA India) called me to explain the complete details before proceeding further. We had a good, long discussion, and she explained to me everything in detail, such as the process and various steps involved in becoming an accredited MHFA instructor, as well as the expectations and role clarity. She also assigned me a mentor when I was ready to start the journey.

Just to give you a glance at the rigorous qualifying process to become an instructor with MHFA, I had to first go through the complete MHFA training program offered by the experienced and qualified instructors. Then I had to present my learnings in a detailed 1-on-1 session with Ms. Erinda Shah. after that, I had to shadow other instructors to understand how the sessions were delivered to the participants. Only after completing all these steps was I assigned my first training program to be delivered. During my first session, Ms. Erinda Shah was present to support me (just in case I needed any help). The reason for this rigorous process is to ensure that MHFA has highly qualified instructors and that the training is consistently delivered by the instructors.

Though I have gone through a lot of in-person and online sessions, I must admit that the MHFA course stands out. MHFA organizations across the globe have a very consistent and high-quality standard of learning material and delivery methodology. They take immense care in preparing accurate materials by following the Delphi methodology, which is very rarely seen in other organizations. The MHFA organization also ensures that the learning material is easy to understand by people across the world, irrespective of their educational backgrounds. Though MHFA offers a common curriculum across the globe, learning material is customized considering the needs, requirements, and regulations specific to the individual countries.

I must tell you that with every training program I delivered, I could see the participants' happiness and satisfaction at learning a much-needed topic. Participants felt that they could help and support their colleagues, their families, and themselves whenever they saw people facing mental health issues. Participants felt that they had the practical tools and techniques for highly sensitive conversations to provide mental health first aid to needy people in their organizations and families. In every session, participants felt that this training program should be extended to all the employees in their organizations. I also benefited a lot from each training program by gaining deeper knowledge and insights due to the conversations and hands-on practice sessions in the training programs.

In addition to assigning the training programs, Ms. Erinda Shah also encourages instructors to talk directly to the customers and arrange for the training programs. The MHFA team provides end-to-end support whenever the instructors directly work on the assignments with corporates. They provide seamless support, starting from enrolling the participants untill the closure of the program.

Overall, for me, it is a highly satisfying journey to collaborate with different people across multiple corporations and create a positive impact on the organizations. I am highly thankful to MHFA India for providing me with this opportunity to work as an instructor as well as an entrepreneur, offering me the best of both worlds!

Being a mental health first aid instructor has been an enriching experience. It is a pleasure to witness the positive impact of promoting understanding, empathy, and practical support around mental health. Each session leaves behind a set of empowered people committed to making the change. As awareness around mental health is still in its nascent stages in our country, there are a lot of misconceptions about it. The content provided by MHFA India educates people with the right vocabulary around mental health and helps in understanding clearly. The material is well structured, tested, and researched, which adds to my confidence to deliver and aid our first aiders with the right knowledge to support people in need.