How long does Mental Health First Aid certification last?
MHFA Australia accreditation lasts 3 years from the date it is issued. Complete a Refresher course before it expires and it is renewed for a further 3 years.
If your 3 years are running out, you can renew in a single 5-hour live Zoom session with Dal, with no eLearning, from anywhere in Australia. If your accreditation has already expired, this page explains exactly what that means and the quickest way back.
5-star Google reviews from Refresher participants- Valid for 3 years from the date of accreditation
- To renew One Refresher session before your expiry date
- Refresher format 5 hours live on Zoom, no eLearning
- If expired Complete a full course to re-accredit
Dal Sahota
Clinical Hypno-Psychotherapist
Principal Master Mental Health Educator
MHFA Australia Licensed Instructor
Just a sample. See the full list of organisations Dal has trained.
What the 3 years actually cover
When you finish a Mental Health First Aid course and pass the MHFA Australia online accreditation assessment, you are issued a Certificate of Accreditation. That certificate carries an expiry date exactly 3 years after it was issued. Until that date, you are recognised as an Accredited Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider). After it, you are not, unless you have renewed.
Accredited
You complete the course, pass the online assessment and receive your Certificate of Accreditation with its expiry date.
Current
You are an Accredited MHFAider. Many workplaces record this date, and some ask for a copy of your certificate.
Renew
Complete a Refresher course while your accreditation is still current and it is extended for a further 3 years.
Lapsed
The Refresher is no longer available. To be accredited again, you complete a full course and assessment.
The 3 years run from the date your accreditation was issued, which is when you passed the assessment, not necessarily the last day of your course. Always go by the date on your certificate.
How to check your date, and what happens either side of it
How to check when yours expires
- Your Certificate of Accreditation. The expiry date is printed on it. If you received it by email, search your inbox for "MHFA" or "accreditation".
- Your MHFA Australia online account. Log in to the account you used for the course and assessment. Your accreditation status, certificate and expiry date are all there, and you can download the certificate again if you have lost it.
- Your employer's training records. If your workplace booked the course, your training or HR team will usually have the completion date on file. Add 3 years to the date you passed the assessment.
What happens when it lapses
Nothing dramatic happens on the day, but from that date you are no longer an Accredited MHFAider. You will not appear as current in MHFA Australia's records, and if your role or workplace requires a current accreditation, you no longer meet that requirement.
The knowledge does not vanish. The skills you learned are still yours to use. What you lose is the accreditation itself, and with it the option to renew through a short Refresher course rather than a full course.
Renewing with a Refresher versus repeating the full course
These are two different things, and the difference matters because it decides how much of your time and money renewal takes.
The Refresher course
- One live 5-hour Zoom session with Dal
- No eLearning and no pre-work
- Revisits the MHFA Action Plan, updates you on current research and guidelines, and works through fresh scenarios with the group
- Extends your accreditation for a further 3 years from your current expiry date
- Standard Refresher $260 + GST, Youth Refresher $280 + GST, plus a $20 + GST Learner Access Pass
The full course
- 5 to 8 hours of self-paced eLearning, then live Zoom sessions with Dal (two half-days for Community and Workplace)
- Covers the complete curriculum from the beginning
- Followed by the MHFA Australia online accreditation assessment
- Issues a new 3-year accreditation from the date you pass
- Community $410 + GST, plus the $20 + GST Learner Access Pass
Who is eligible for a Refresher
To attend a Refresher course you need to meet two conditions on the day of the session:
- You hold a current MHFA Australia accreditation. Current means the expiry date on your certificate has not yet passed. You can attend at any point during your 3 years, but most people book in the final year so the renewal adds cleanly to the end of their existing term.
- You choose the Refresher that matches your original course. The Standard MHFA Refresher renews adult accreditations gained through a Standard, Community or Workplace Mental Health First Aid course. The Youth MHFA Refresher renews accreditations gained through a Youth Mental Health First Aid course.
When you book with Dal, you provide your expiry date and a copy of your Certificate of Accreditation so eligibility is confirmed before the session, not discovered on the day.
If your accreditation expired some time ago
People often arrive at this page after finding an old certificate and realising the date passed a year or two back. If that is you, the Refresher is not an option, and no instructor can offer it to you once your accreditation has lapsed, because eligibility is set by MHFA Australia rather than by the instructor.
The good news is that the full course is now fully online, so re-accrediting does not mean a two-day trip or time away from work. You complete the eLearning at your own pace, join Dal live on Zoom, and come out with a fresh 3-year accreditation. The Community, Workplace and Youth courses are all listed further down this page.
Dal's two Refresher courses, side by side
Both are a single 5-hour live Zoom session starting at 9:00am AEST (NSW/VIC time), with no eLearning component. The Standard Refresher runs on Fridays and the Youth Refresher on Thursdays. If your organisation has a group of 6 or more people to renew, Dal can run either Refresher on a day that suits your team. Both are delivered personally by Dal to MHFAiders in every Australian state and territory.
Standard MHFA Refresher
Renews accreditation from a Standard, Community or Workplace Mental Health First Aid course.
- Runs on Fridays, 9:00am AEST, 5 hours live on Zoom
- Other days available for organisations with a group of 6 or more
- No eLearning, no pre-work
- Confirmed at 6 or more participants
- Accreditation extended by 3 years
The booking form asks for your accreditation expiry date.
Youth MHFA Refresher
Renews accreditation from a Youth Mental Health First Aid course.
- Runs on Thursdays, 9:00am AEST, 5 hours live on Zoom
- Other days available for organisations with a group of 6 or more
- No eLearning, no pre-work
- Confirmed at 6 or more participants
- Accreditation extended by 3 years
The booking form asks for your accreditation expiry date.
The Learner Access Pass is required by MHFA Australia for every participant and covers access to the official course materials. Public sessions run on the days above and are confirmed at 6 or more participants. Organisations with 6 or more staff to renew can book a private session on a different day. Sessions are anchored to NSW/VIC time, so participants in QLD, SA, NT and WA start earlier; each course page shows your local start time and your confirmation email states the exact time for your date.
Reserve your place
Choose the Refresher that matches your original course, pick a date on its page, and pay securely by card.
Confirm eligibility
Provide your expiry date and your Certificate of Accreditation, available in your MHFA Australia account, so Dal can verify you before the session.
Attend the Zoom session
Join Dal live for one 5-hour session. Confirmed at 6 or more participants, or your booking rolls to the next available date.
The full course path, fully online
If your accreditation has lapsed, or you have never held one, these are the courses that lead to a new 3-year MHFA Australia accreditation. All three combine self-paced eLearning with live Zoom sessions delivered by Dal, and all three welcome participants from every state and territory.
Community Mental Health First Aid
The most popular choice for individuals re-accrediting on their own. eLearning plus two live Zoom mornings on a fortnightly rotation.
Workplace Mental Health First Aid
The same accreditation, with scenarios and discussion shaped around supporting colleagues. Suits staff whose workplace requires a current MHFAider.
Youth Mental Health First Aid
For adults who support young people aged 12 to 18: teachers, school staff, youth workers, coaches and parents. Leads to a Youth MHFA accreditation.
One morning on Zoom, and you are current for 3 more years
Refresher sessions are small, interactive and built around discussion rather than lecture. You revisit the MHFA Action Plan, catch up on what has changed in the guidelines since you first trained, and work through realistic scenarios in breakout rooms with other MHFAiders from around the country.
A real Refresher session in progress. You join the same way, live on Zoom, from wherever you are.
A snapshot of real online sessions, scroll to see more. Dal has personally trained thousands of people in mental health first aid, live on Zoom, across every state and territory. Participant faces are blurred for privacy.
Renew with an educator who works in mental health every day
Every Refresher is delivered live by Dal Sahota, an MHFA Australia Licensed Instructor, Clinical Hypno-Psychotherapist and Principal Master Mental Health Educator. Three years is long enough for the hard questions to have come up in real life, and a Refresher with Dal is where you get to ask them. Your questions are answered from years of therapeutic practice, and sensitive topics are handled with genuine care.
"Dal is an exceptional psychotherapist and mental health trainer. Her sessions are surprisingly versatile where she not only tailors her training style to accommodate trainees of different backgrounds but also gently challenges learners to enhance their learning skills and comprehension. She also balances her sessions with equal amount of instruction and group discussions, thereby allowing the learners to grasp and apply what they have learnt as soon as possible. I highly recommend making the most of her expertise and experience."Vinay Umarji
Verified Google review
What MHFAiders say about renewing with Dal
"I recently completed my Mental Health First Aid refresher training facilitated by Dal Sahota, and it was a fantastic experience. Dal has a warm, approachable style that made the content feel engaging and accessible rather than overwhelming. The session was well-structured and struck the right balance between revisiting the core MHFA framework and deepening practical skills for real-world situations. Dal’s evident passion for mental health education came through throughout the day, and her ability to create a safe, open environment encouraged genuine discussion among the group. I left feeling more confident and better equipped to support the people around me. Highly recommend Dal as a facilitator to anyone looking to undertake or refresh their Mental Health First Aid training."Filbert Sim
Verified Google review
"Dal was extremely well-organised and knowledgeable as the Mental Health First Aid refresher trainer. I highly recommend a class with her."Sabrina Sequeira
Verified Google review
"I highly recommend Dal. Dal’s delivery of the online MHFA refresher course was so professional. I love that she kept everyone engaged and interested. It was very obvious she is very knowledgeable and passionate about her work. Dal’s pre and post course communication has also been most impressive."Michelle Jennings
Verified Google review
"have been attending mhfa courses and eefreshers for a long time, and Dal’s delivery and knowledge has been the best yet. encouraged participation and delivered in a manner that felt personal not ‘parroted’ from a training power point"Kevin Long
Verified Google review
"I would highly recommend this refresher MHFirst Aid Youth course with Dal. From start to finish it was professionally presented, plenty of break times and the speed of the content was presented clearly and time efficient. Having a smaller group, I felt, was beneficial when we went into our breakout room sessions and having the time to speak to fellow online colleagues was beneficial. Thank you Dal."Steph PASTERFIELD
Verified Google review
Frequently asked questions
How long does mental health first aid certification last?
MHFA Australia accreditation lasts 3 years from the date it is issued. You become accredited once you have completed the course and passed the online accreditation assessment, and your Certificate of Accreditation shows the exact expiry date. To keep your accreditation current beyond 3 years, complete a Refresher course before that expiry date.
How long is mental health first aid valid for?
Your Mental Health First Aid accreditation is valid for 3 years. During that time you are recognised by MHFA Australia as an Accredited Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider). Completing a Refresher course before the 3 years are up extends your accreditation for a further 3 years.
How long does MHFA certification last?
MHFA certification, formally called accreditation by MHFA Australia, lasts 3 years. A Refresher course completed before your expiry date renews it for another 3 years. If your accreditation has already expired, the Refresher is no longer available to you and you would complete a full course again to become accredited.
How long does a mental health first aid certificate last?
A Mental Health First Aid Certificate of Accreditation is valid for 3 years from the date it was issued. The expiry date is printed on the certificate and is also shown in your MHFA Australia online account. Before that date passes, you can renew for a further 3 years through a one-session Refresher course.
How long is mental health first aid certification good for?
Mental Health First Aid certification is good for 3 years. After that it expires and you are no longer listed as an Accredited MHFAider. The simplest way to stay current is to book a Refresher course in the months before your expiry date, which renews your accreditation for 3 more years in a single 5-hour live Zoom session.
Can I do a Refresher course if my accreditation has already expired?
No. The Refresher is only open to people whose accreditation is still current on the day of the session. Once it has expired, even by a short time, the path back to accreditation is a full course. The Community, Workplace and Youth Mental Health First Aid courses all run fully online with Dal, so you can re-accredit from anywhere in Australia.
Which Refresher course do I need?
Match the Refresher to the course you originally completed. If you hold an adult accreditation from a Standard, Community or Workplace Mental Health First Aid course, you need the Standard MHFA Refresher. If you hold a Youth Mental Health First Aid accreditation, you need the Youth MHFA Refresher. If you are unsure which you hold, check the course name on your Certificate of Accreditation.
Does the Refresher course have eLearning?
No. Both of Dal's Refresher courses are a single 5-hour live Zoom session with no eLearning or pre-work. The booking form asks for your accreditation expiry date so Dal can confirm you are eligible, then you join live from wherever you are in Australia.
Still current? Renew now, before the date passes
One 5-hour live Zoom session with Dal renews your MHFA Australia accreditation for a further 3 years. No eLearning, no travel, and no risk of finding yourself back at the start of a full course because the date slipped by.
Standard Refresher $260 + GST, Youth Refresher $280 + GST, plus $20 + GST Learner Access Pass. Standard Refresher on Fridays, Youth Refresher on Thursdays, from 9:00am AEST, confirmed at 6+ participants. Other days available for organisations with a group of 6 or more.
Standard MHFA Refresher Youth MHFA Refresher
Already expired? Start with the Community course, the Workplace course or the Youth course.