Mental health and wellbeing courses
We run our mental health and psychosocial support courses for workplaces or individuals. They provide practical skills to help someone who may need mental health support. Our mental health and wellbeing courses explore why mental health matters, and provide you with some tools for your kete to support people in distress. You can book psychological first aid individually, or email wellbeing@redcross.org.nz to book any of our courses exclusively for your organisation.
All of our courses are delivered by experienced mental health professionals. Our team includes occupational therapists, counsellors, social workers, psychological researchers, registered nurses, front line support staff, adventure therapists, and clinical supervisors. All our staff have professional experience working with individuals exposed to distress and mental illness and bring their expertise to the courses they deliver.
NZQA Standards:
Learning outcomes
Participants will:
- Understand what Psychological First Aid is and isn't.
- Become familiar with distress reactions
- Provide PFA using ‘The Five Elements’ and the action principles:
- Look: Know some of the warning signs.
- Listen: How to check in, listen and respond.
- Link: Connect the person and/or yourself to the right support.
- Practice providing Psychological First Aid.
Course Information
Delivery: Face-to-face
Course length: Full day (7 hours)
A minimum age of 18 years applies to this course due to the nature of the course content.
Book a course
For individual bookings, please follow the "Individual Booking" button.
For exclusive hire courses, please email wellbeing@redcross.org.nz
NZQA Standards:
NZQA Standards:
The course also provides organisations and teams with the tools to better identify, understand, and manage mental health issues in their workplace.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
- Develop an understanding of mental health, mental distress and mental illness and how it affects whānau and work colleagues.
- Use the look, listen, link framework to help someone who may need mental health support:
- Look: Know some of the warning signs.
- Listen: How to check in, listen and respond.
- Link: Connect the person and/or yourself to the right support.
- Leave with tools to help identify, understand, and manage mental health issues at work or home.
Course information
Delivery: Face-to-face
Course length: 7 hours
NZQA Standards:
NZQA Standards:
This practical and interactive course equips participants to recognise early signs of agitation and respond with confidence using evidence-informed de-escalation strategies grounded in Psychological First Aid (PFA). Through real-world scenarios and guided practice, learners develop the ability to calm tense or potentially volatile situations by applying effective communication, empathy, and supportive approaches that reduce distress and escalated behaviour. The training focuses on promoting safety, dignity, and mutual understanding, while preserving the mana of everyone involved.
Learning Outcomes
Course participants will be able to:
- Explain the phases in the escalation cycle and the factors affecting a person's reactions.
- Describe different de-escalation techniques and their benefits.
- Demonstrate increased confidence in the use of de-escalation techniques.
Course information
Delivery: Face-to-face
Course length: 6 hours
A minimum age of 18 years applies to this course due to the nature of the course content.
NZQA Standards:
NZQA Standards:
We use the ‘look, listen, link’ framework to help someone who may need mental health support:
- Look: Know some of the warning signs.
- Listen: How to check in, listen and respond.
- Link: Connect the person and/or yourself to the right support.
Learning outcomes
Participants will:
- Develop an understanding of mental health, mental distress and mental illness and how it affects family and whānau and work colleagues.
- Gain a support process and practical skills of the 'look, listen, link' framework to help someone who may need mental health support.
Course information
Delivery: Face-to-face
Course length: 4 hours
Book a course
For individual bookings, please follow the "Individual Booking" button.
For exclusive hire courses, please email wellbeing@redcross.org.nz
NZQA Standards:
NZQA Standards:
Learning outcomes
At the end of this workshop, you will:
- Understand what Psychological First Aid is and isn't.
- Become familiar with distress reactions.
- Have tools to be able to provide Psychological First Aid using ‘The Five Elements’ tool and the action principles: ‘look, listen and link.’
- Practice providing Psychological First Aid.
Course information
Delivery: Face-to-face
Course length: 6 hours
More information: Courses are delivered exclusively for groups of 10-20 participants.
NZQA Standards: