Mental Health First Aid Course: “Essential for anyone leading or supporting a team” 

The AVA’s Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course is specifically tailored for veterinarians, offering education on a wide range of mental health conditions and workplace challenges. Delivered online, it is available to veterinary teams across Australia, making it particularly valuable and accessible for rural and regional practices. 

Rosie Overfield, who has worked in the veterinary industry since 1999 and currently serves on the AVA’s THRIVE Advisory Committee, agrees that tailored training is crucial. 

“Veterinary-specific Mental Health First Aid training is essential because it directly addresses the unique stressors, ethical dilemmas, and emotional demands of the veterinary profession,” she said. 

“Unlike generic programs, the program's case studies, language and facilitation materials reflect the realities of daily veterinary work."

"This ensures that the training resonates with all veterinary professionals, enabling them to identify risk factors at work, the signs of mental ill-health early and respond appropriately to colleagues in a way that feels relevant, safe, and stigma-free.” 

One practice manager of a group of rural and regional veterinary clinics has enrolled more than 10 leaders in the program since its inception in 2016. They believe that MHFA training is vital across all industries, but especially within the veterinary profession.  

“Everyone goes through periods in their life where they face challenges to their mental health, whether it be dealing with grief after the loss of a loved one, relationship challenges, parenthood, financial challenges, or any manner of other difficulties,” they said. 

They have found that all participants in the course are better equipped to support their teams through personal challenges, whether they be work or personal life related. 

“It has given them the language and confidence to discuss challenging issues relating to mental health, identify when people might be struggling, and helped inform how they provide further support.” 

AVA Wellbeing Executive Officer Dr Rebecca Faris agrees that work colleagues are often best placed to recognise when someone is struggling. After completing the program herself in 2019, Rebecca also felt better equipped to understand and respond to her client’s emotional needs, leading to improved customer service and clinical outcomes.  

Sponsored by Hill’s, Provet, Vets Choice and Westpac, the program is offered at a competitive rate. Participants receive a 3-year accreditation, with refresher training required every 3 years thereafter.  

As our business leader identified, the veterinary profession is rapidly evolving.  Social changes, new technologies and ever-increasing client expectations mean that teams that aren’t learning and adapting will quickly get left behind. 

“As a regional veterinary business, we need to keep investing in the development of our team because we don’t have access to a pool of candidates that are already trained. We recognise that it is our role to ensure that our team continue to learn, grow and are able to confidently meet the needs of our patients and clients. 

 “We believe that the Mental Health First Aid course is absolutely essential for anyone who is leading and supporting teams, and it is one of the first workshops we enrol new leaders in.” 

The final course for 2025 is coming up on 5 and 12 November. Registrations are capped at 12 participants and close Friday 24 October. Register here.