Questions and Answers

ensa is a project of the Swiss Foundation Pro Mente Sana, launched with the generous support of the Beisheim Foundation. While Pro Mente Sana works for the mental wellbeing of everybody in Switzerland, and particularly for the social and vocational integration of people with a mental impairment, the Beisheim Foundation – together with partner organizations – initiates and promotes projects to solve key societal challenges. Together we succeeded in bringing the Australian programme ‘Mental Health First Aid’ to Switzerland.

The word "ensa", which comes from one of the more than 300 languages spoken by native Australians, means "answer". We are convinced that ensa delivers the answer to questions of how to help people with mental difficulties.

The content of the ensa first aid course is based on scientific findings. There is no other programme whose effects have been documented by so many scientific studies in recognized specialist journals.

Almost everybody in Switzerland is confronted with the subject of mental illness or at least has been in the past. The ensa first aid course is designed to help them. With the focused training they have undergone, ensa instructors provide course participants with the practical expertise they need to recognize mental problems and acute crises at an early stage in people close to them, and to intervene correctly.

Betty Kitchener and Professor Tony Jorm developed the first aid course for mental health in Canberra (Australia) in 2000/2001. Betty Kitchener is a trainer who has been affected by mental problems, while Tony Jorm is a researcher in the field of mental health. Their objective was to make non-experts better able to help when persons close to them exhibit mental difficulties. Since the course was launched, 26 other countries (as at January 2019) have acquired licences and over 2.6 million people (as at mid-2018) have completed it.

The first aid course for mental health improves knowledge of mental health, reduces stigmatizing behaviour, increases people's confidence in their ability to help and strengthens their own mental health.

You can support ensa in a variety of ways, for example by attending a first aid course for mental health or becoming an ensa instructor. We are also delighted to receive donations to the Pro Mente Sana Foundation The Pro Mente Sana Foundation is a ZEWO-certified registered charity.

If your question is not answered here, the best thing to do is e-mail us at info@ensa.swiss.

The ensa course starts off with the mediation of basic knowledge about mental health and mental illness. Together we will reflect on the frequency of mental illnesses as well as how we approach people experiencing mental health problems in our society. You get to the know the first aid for mental health in 5 steps and study the most common or most serious mental illnesses (depression, anxiety disorder, psychosis and addiction) First aid in crisis situations will be discussed and practiced throughout the course, as well as how to address and support people showing initial signs of mental health issues.

First aiders have a basic knowledge of various mental health issues and crisis. They know how to approach the affected person in their personal milieu, to help, support and inform them as well as to encourage them to seek professional help and activate additional. First aiders do not learn how to diagnose mental illnesses.

The first aid course is paid directly during the booking process on the website. The following means of payment are accepted: Postfinance, Mastercard, VISA, Paypal or TWINT.

Every registration for an ensa course is binding. Cancellations can be sent to info@ensa.swiss. In case of cancellation of participation in a public course, the course fees will be refunded deducting a cancellation fee of CHF 50 (incl. VAT). Once a course has started, cancellation is no longer possible and course fees will not be refunded in case of course cancellation.

If the user wishes to rebook to another course up to 7 days before the first day of a public course, they can do so using the link in the confirmation email to the original course. There will be no charge. If the rebooking is made less than 7 days before the start of the course, a rebooking fee of CHF 30 (incl. VAT) will be charged. Rebooking after the start of the course is not possible.

No, your registration for the ensa first aid course is always final.

In order to be admitted to the exam and obtain the certificate, you must attend all parts of the first aid course. An absence of maximum one hour is permitted in consultation with an instructor. If the participant misses one or more course parts, they will receive an email notification. This contains a link that allows the user to book the missed course parts in an alternative course within 6 months. The user will be shown all options available at that time. A catch-up fee of CHF 50 (incl. VAT) is charged per booking. Multiple catch-up dates can be booked.

The ensa first aid courses are conducted by an ensa instructor. They have been prepared by specially qualified trainers of the Pro Mente Sana Foundation.

You can register for an ensa first aid course directly at Kursseite.

You can register for an ensa first aid course directly at Kursseite.

The ensa first aid course lasts for 12 hours in total.

Yes. After the ensa first aid course all participants receive an electronic link to a survey about the course and the exam. The exam consists of two case studies, each with 5 questions, and 5 true-or-false questions (15 questions altogether). First aiders who pass the exam are sent the ensa first aider certificate by email.

We do not send out documentation in advance. You will receive the ensa manual during the course, and when you pass the exam, the ensa first aider certificate.

No preparations are necessary.

The ensa first aider certificate is valid for three years. After that, the holder must take a short refresher course to maintain its validity.

This is at the discretion of the ensa instructors, up to a maximum of 20 people. We recommend a group size between 8 and 20.

In German, French, Italian and English.

The ensa course is compliant with the regulations of the EMR (ErfahrungsMedizinisches Register). The Swiss Association of Nutritionists will certify the ensa course with 12 SVDE points. According to the training regulations of the Swiss Society for Occupational Safety (SGAS), this course (Mental Health First Aid: focus Adults) counts as 4 training units. The course is considered to be a specialist core training course and is recognised by the Swiss Society of Paediatrics (SGP) with 4 credits

The Swica reimburses partially the course's costs if supplementary insurance is held. Depending on the supplementary insurance, this portion can be 50% or more. Clarifications are currently being considered by other insurers regarding reimbursement.

To become an ensa instructor, you need an ensa first aid certificate Focus Adult or Focus Youth, an open attitude towards people with mental illness, and proven experience in adult education. In addition, you should have a connection to mental illness, either professionally or through personal experience. Furthermore, you will need to lead ensa first aid courses on a regular basis and be willing to plan and organize them independently.

If you have attended the ensa first aid course Focus Adult or Youth and have the necessary prerequisites, you can apply for the ensa instructor training. To do so, submit a short CV and the application form describing why you are suitable for the training. Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to clarify your open questions about the ensa training and the ensa teaching profession in a personal online interview. If your application is accepted, you will first participate in the basic training day. This will be followed by the ensa first aid course focus adult or ensa first aid course focus youth. You choose the respective ensa focus according to your personal knowledge and interests. Finally, you will prove your skills in an ensa assessment. As soon as you have passed this assessment, you are a prospective ensa instructor.

Yes, between the ensa first aid course Focus Adult or ensa first aid course Focus Youth and the ensa exam, there is a written exam in open form. The result of the written exam is included in the evaluation of the ensa assessment. The exam consists of a 20-minute presentation of the ensa first aid course Focus Adult or the ensa first aid course Focus Youth in front of a group and two ensa trainers. The ensa trainers assess whether you have the necessary skills to lead an ensa course.

A module is only considered fully attended if at least 90% of the participants are present. Catch-up dates are not provided for. In case of illness, the corresponding module must be made up before the next module can be attended. If a medical certificate is presented and written notice of cancellation is received up to 7 days before the start of the training, the make-up is free of charge. In case of cancellation less than 7 days before the start of the course with a medical certificate, an expense allowance (accommodation and meals at the course location) of CHF 100.00 per course day will be charged. For cancellations for other reasons, the cancellation conditions in the next section apply.

Cancellations without a doctor's note received 3 weeks or less prior to the course start date are subject to a fee. Cancellations received 8-21 days prior to the course start date will be charged 50% of the individual service fee, 4-7 days prior to the course start date will be charged 75% of the individual service fee, and 1-3 days prior to the course start date will be charged 100% of the individual service fee.

The ensa training is led by internal ensa trainers of the Swiss Pro Mente Sana Foundation. They are ensa trainers with many years of experience, have a wealth of experience and are constantly continuing their education.

At least 4 weeks before the start of the training, a decision will be made based on the number of registrations whether the ensa training will take place.

You have the option to pay for the ensa training as a complete package, which includes the costs for the basic day, the ensa first aid course focus adult or ensa first aid course focus youth and the ensa assessment. This option is cheaper, but you are not entitled to a refund if you want to finish the ensa training between two modules. Book the individual modules (basic day, etc.) as single services, then you will have more flexibility

Payment is made by invoice, which will be sent by e-mail 4 weeks before the start of the training. The invoice must be paid at the latest before the start of the training. Payment by installments is possible in exceptional cases.

If the package is booked, cancellation and repayment of partial services are excluded.

Yes, all ensa courses must be self-financed.

If you fail the ensa assessment, you have the option of repeating it at the next possible date. A one-time retake of the assessment in case of failure is free of charge.

If you feel that you have taught enough ensa courses as a prospective ensa teacher and feel confident enough to teach ensa courses yourself, you can get certified as an ensa teacher. During the ensa certification, your skills will be tested by an ensa trainer during a course that you teach together. One of the decisive factors for the ensa certification is the feedback of the participants and the ensa trainer. After passing the exam, you are qualified to teach courses independently as an experienced ensa instructor.

ensa instructors pay an annual license fee of 200 Swiss francs to the Swiss foundation Pro Mente Sana. Among other things, this entitles them to use the ensa course platform. On this platform, ensa instructors can post ensa first aid courses and manage their participants. In addition, ensa instructors can find course material and news in their personal login area.

The ensa instructors sign a contract with the Swiss foundation Pro Mente Sana. In this contract, the ensa instructors undertake, among other things, not to duplicate the teaching materials, not to adapt the teaching materials, to conduct ensa courses on a regular basis and to undergo ongoing training.

The ensa courses are only conducted by experienced ensa instructors. However, as a prospective ensa instructor, you are obliged to lead the ensa courses with an experienced ensa instructor

There are different ways to get ensa offers. On the one hand, the Swiss Pro Mente Sana Foundation announces offers for company courses or public webinars in the lecturer login for which one can apply. This requires a certain degree of flexibility and initiative on the part of ensa instructors. Another possibility is to plan your own ensa face-to-face courses, which also appear on the ensa website in the course overview. For this purpose, the ensa instructors look for their own premises and are then responsible for the implementation and promotion of the courses. This variant can be more time-consuming for the first couple of courses, but it also allows more freedom in terms of course times and locations. For entrepreneurial instructors, there is the possibility to become an ensa partner and acquire corporate customers. Here you can find detailed information about the ensa partnership.

Being an Ensa instructor involves a lot of passion. Depending on commitment and flexibility, the job can bring in more or less income. However, as a rule, the income is not enough for a lucrative second career. It should also be noted that the path to the status of an experienced instructor involves a large time commitment with a lower salary.

Companies and organizations can send employees on ensa first aid courses, or they can have courses conducted internally. Larger companies and organizations may find it beneficial to have employees trained as ensa instructors to conduct internal courses.

We are happy to disclose the costs for companies and organizations on request.

ensa instructor training lasts five working days, divided in a three-day and a two-day part. We are happy to disclose the costs for companies and organizations on request.

Yes. It makes particular sense in the working environment for a certain proportion of employees to have first aider expertise. The Pro Mente Sana Foundation recommends 10%. This makes a prophylactic attitude to mental health part of the corporate culture, and employees affected by mental problems can be given support at an early stage.

Yes. Companies and organizations can have first aiders trained internally by the Pro Mente Sana Foundation or by independently active instructors. Or they can have ensa instructors of their own trained, who will then conduct internal first aid courses for mental health. Licensing as an ensa instructor is personal, not linked to the company or organization. If you have any questions or queries, please contact info@ensa.swiss.