Richmond Institute recently had the opportunity to deliver a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course to Swinburne University of Technology students as a part of an initiative to improve mental health literacy and to reduce the stigma.
Since 2018, Richmond Institute has been delivering these courses on behalf of Mental Health First Aid Australia.
Last week Richmond Institute worked closely with the Moondani Toobadool Centre to deliver training to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus.
This session was also delivered in collaboration with the Richmond Football Club’s Korin Gamadji Institute – a centre of cultural strength and learning for Indigenous youth.
Brady Cooper, the Programs Lead for Korin Gamadji Institute, highlighted that the sessions were delivered to an engaged and interested group, with many thought-provoking discussions were had.
The sessions facilitator, David Bastian, mentioned that he was able to take a lot of learnings out of this session – particularly the struggles that Indigenous students can face when it comes to mental health and wellbeing.
“The more students we can train in Mental Health First Aid and educated and raise awareness, the more skilled and confident Mental Health First Aiders are out in the community helping and supporting those who might need it,” said David.
Swinburne’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing Administrator, Madi Hough, was pleased with the outcomes of the training and the positive impact that it had on attendees.
“The near-perfect feedback from the students speaks for itself,” she said.
“There were high levels of engagement from students, they felt that the sessions were collaborative, and were appreciative of David and Brady’s time and knowledge”.
If you are interested in Mental Health First Aid training for your organisation, please email rievents@richmondfc.com.au.