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Mental Health​ First Aid – ​Help with issues of wellbeing

The Mental Health First Aid team at the University of Jena offers confidential and uncomplicated first aid for mental health problems and crises.
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Mental Health First Aid – First Aid when you're experiencing a personal crisis


Mental Health First Aid - Offering and receiving first aid

At the University of Jena, we are committed to ensuring that employees and students can receive first aid for mental health problems - in cooperation with the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program.

MHFA is an internationally recognized programme that helps to identify the signs and symptoms of mental illness and to offer support for those affected on the basis of first aid measures and to provide further help in an uncomplicated manner. At the University of Jena, you can train as a first aider in this field and also receive first aid for mental health problems. All active first aiders have completed the certified MHFA trainingExternal link and are able to talk to you about health problems and disorders of your mental well-being.

The MHFA team does not diagnose or provide therapy. However, the first aiders can listen, offer you straightforward help and are able to refer you to the people who can help you. All counseling services are strictly confidential.

The Mental Health First Aid Team at Friedrich Schiller University

Friedrich Schiller University Jena has been offering a variety of prevention measures in order to support all employees and associated researchers in their self care and psychological wellbeing. The Studierendenwerk of the Thuringian State also provides consultation and support offers around your psychological health.

As of 2021, Graduate Academy and the Jena Alliance Life in Focus have created an additional offer to help bridge the gap between prevention and treatment: Our MHFA first aiders are situated in different university institutions, and are open to assist all employees of the university independently of their working area, as well as all young researchers (doctoral candidates, postdocs).

Indivdual MHFA Contacts

  1. Kaden, Laura Employee | German, English Internationales Büro

    Universitätshauptgebäude, Room 0.18
    Fürstengraben 1
    07743 Jena

  2. Konwar, Ikebana Student | English, Hindi Faculty of Biology

    ikebana.konwar@uni-jena.de
    _ _

  3. Mertens, Jasmin Employee | German, English Professorship for Microbial Communication

    Hellfeldsches Haus
    Neugasse 23
    07743 Jena

  4. Müller, Susan Beatrice Employee | German, English Professor of Educational Science with a focus on educational counseling

    Room 3130
    Carl-Zeiss-Platz 16
    07743 Jena

  5. Theis, Laura Bella Student | German, English Philosophical Faculty
  6. Wagner, Tanja Employee | German, English Sprachenzentrum

    Room 5.23
    Ernst-Abbe-Platz 8
    07743 Jena

  7. Wittscher, Ladyna Employee | German, English Economic and Social Statistics

    Room 4.61
    Carl-Zeiß-Straße 3
    07743 Jena

Useful information: Medical practitioners with foreign language skills in Jena

Our Partner: The MHFA Programme at Central Institute for Mental Health (CIMH) Mannheim

  • What is the MHFA Programme?

    More than 40 percent of Germans will experience mental illnesses at least once in the course of their lives. Even though we encounter many people suffering from psychological illnesses in our direct environment, the issue of mental health still causes a lot of uncertainty, prejudices, and anxiety. This is why we are conviced that prevention and desigmatisation in the field of mental health are of great importance. 

    This is where the MHFA First Aiders Programme enters the picture. MHFA First Aider Trainings for mental health have been developed in line with the successful guideline for First Aif with physical illness. The programme trains amateurs as Mental Health First Aiders within 12 hours.

    Apart from providing theoretical background information, the training also teaches practical first aid measures for mental health issues, both while still developping, but also while already causing an acute mental crisis.

    The MHFA First Aider Training improves the individual knowledge on mental health, reduces stigmatising behaviour, increaes the trust in one's individual competencies, and strengthens the aider's own psychological wellbeing.

    Download the info flyer of the Institute for Menatal Health Mannheim here: Link (2 MB)pdf, 2 mb · de

  • The Goal of MHFA Certification Classes?

    It enables adults to provide mental health first aid to their family, colleagues, and their friends, as it puts them in the position to succesfully read the signs and signals of mental illnesses, to understand them and react to them. The trainings are moreover offering a sensible additional benefit for educational institutions, companies, medical first aiders and many other insitutions.

    For further information, please go to www.mhfa-ersthelfer.deExternal link.

Beyond the qualification of university members as MHFA first aiders via our partner programme in Mannheim, Friedrich Schiller University also plans to qualify instructors who will conduct MHFA classes on-site in Jena.

If you are interested in qualifying as a MHFA first-aider, please contact us!

MHFA Partner Logo

Graphic: MHFA Mannheim
MHFA coordination team

Julia Hoppe
07743 Jena

University institutions to contact for matters of health and equality

  • Person holding a notepad reading ‘We are equal—wir sind gleich’
    Image: LaylaBird, istock
    Equality and Diversity de

    This Website brings together all information on diversity and equality at Friedrich Schiller University Jena.
    Please note: This website is (still) only in German.

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