Mental Health First Aid: Why Training Is Just the Start
You’ve invested in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. Certificates are printed, team photos shared on LinkedIn - job done, right?
Not quite.
While MHFA training is a powerful starting point, it’s what happens after the course that truly matters. The difference between a tick-box exercise and lasting cultural change comes down to how well your Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAiders) are supported, visible, and embedded into daily working life.
Meet your MHFAiders: the Heartbeat of Mental Wellbeing
MHFAiders are the colleagues who step forward when someone is struggling. They’re trained to spot the early signs of poor mental health, start a supportive conversation, and signpost professional help when needed.
They’re not therapists - they’re connectors.
According to MHFA England, workplaces that embed MHFAiders see up to a 75% increase in employees accessing mental-health support. That’s because people are far more likely to open up to someone they already know and trust.
But if those trained individuals aren’t visible, supported, or part of a wider wellbeing framework, that trust never has the chance to grow - and their impact fades fast.
So, how do you turn that initial burst of enthusiasm from training into something that lasts?
Here are five practical ways to make MHFA part of your company’s culture, not just a certificate on the wall.
1. Make MHFA visible
The first step is simple: shine a light on your MHFAiders. Introduce them in team meetings, share their stories on your intranet or Smart Hive Platform, and make sure people know who they are and how to contact them.
When employees can put a face to a name, they’re more likely to reach out early, before problems escalate. It also sends a clear message: “We don’t just talk about mental health; we invest in it.”
2. Create Space and Structure for your MHFAiders
Even the most passionate MHFAider can burn out without the right support. Regular check-ins, supervision, and peer forums give them a safe space to share experiences and recharge.
This isn’t just about duty of care - it’s good business. Deloitte estimates poor mental health costs UK employers £51 billion each year, but every £1 invested in staff wellbeing delivers £4.70 back through improved productivity and reduced absence. Supporting MHFAiders is one of the simplest ways to make that return real.
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3. Link MHFAiders to leadership
For MHFA to thrive, it can’t sit on the sidelines. Managers and leaders should understand what MHFA is - and isn’t. It’s not about replacing professional support or management responsibility; it’s about building bridges.
When MHFAiders are connected with HR, wellbeing leads and senior managers, mental health becomes part of the organisation’s DNA, not just an add-on.
4. Keep Learning Alive
Mental health doesn’t stand still, and neither should your training. Refresher sessions, advanced workshops, or regular awareness events help keep knowledge current and confidence high.
A living, breathing MHFA network evolves with your business. It grows stronger over time, helping normalise open conversations and challenge stigma across teams.
5. Recognise and Celebrate the Difference
Your MHFAiders are culture-builders. Recognise them publicly. Celebrate their contribution. Include them in wellbeing campaigns and ask for their insight when shaping future strategy.
When you treat MHFAiders as an integral part of your wellbeing approach - not volunteers in the background - you empower them to make a real impact. And that impact ripples outward: more conversations, earlier intervention, fewer crises.
Turning Training into Transformation
Training creates awareness. Embedding mental health support creates change.
By making MHFAiders visible, supported and valued, you turn knowledge into culture, and culture into care. It’s how mental health stops being a compliance line and starts being part of who you are as an organisation.
At Bravo Benefits, we deliver Mental Health First Aid training that’s designed to be the foundation, not the finish line. We help you build the right structure around your MHFAiders so they can thrive, connect, and make a lasting impact.
Because when MHFA becomes part of your culture, not your checklist, everyone benefits.
