What is ENSA training? Complete guide to the Swiss mental health first aid programme

What is ensa training and why is it attracting so much interest in Switzerland? Since 2019, this Swiss mental health first aid programme has been teaching people how to respond to psychological distress in everyday life, at work, at school or within their community. Accessible without any medical prerequisites, ensa teaches simple actions, based on scientific principles, to recognise warning signs, engage in a caring dialogue and refer the person to professional help.

Because “doing nothing is always wrong”, this certified training course helps develop early intervention reflexes, comparable to those used in physical first aid. In Switzerland, more and more companies, communities and individuals are choosing to undergo training in order to strengthen prevention, psychological safety and support within their circles.

In this comprehensive, clear and informative guide, we explain how ensa works, what the training involves and how to take it with SafetyFirst.ch, an approved organisation.

Understanding ENSA training: basics, objectives and how the Swiss programme works

The ensa training course is now the Swiss benchmark for mental health first aid. Adapted from the international Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) programme, it was introduced in Switzerland in 2019 to make prevention accessible to everyone. The principle is simple: learn to recognise mental distress early on, adopt an attitude of listening and empathy, then encourage the person to seek professional help.

ensa is aimed at people aged 18 and over, with no medical training required. It is a structured, rigorous and yet deeply human learning experience. Participants learn how to spot the warning signs – severe stress, isolation, anxiety, unusual behaviour – and how to intervene in a caring, non-judgmental manner.

Ensa’s main objective is to develop a culture of support and psychological safety, in which “acting early” becomes a reflex for citizens. Thanks to a clear framework, an intervention protocol and practical tools, each participant can become a local helper, useful in their social circle, community or company.

Origin of ensa: from Mental Health First Aid to the Swiss model

Created in Australia, the MHFA programme has been rolled out in more than 30 countries, training millions of people. Switzerland has chosen to officially adapt this model under the name ensa, complying with international standards while incorporating local realities: linguistic diversity, community needs, organisational expectations and cultural specificities.

Ensa’s mission is part of a comprehensive approach: to destigmatise mental disorders, promote public health and strengthen protective factors in the population.

Why ensa? Responding to psychological distress and taking immediate action

In the psychological realm, inaction is often the worst option. Early intervention can make the difference between a crisis that worsens and appropriate support. ensa provides simple guidelines for responding to an emotional crisis, emerging depression, burnout, or even a suicidal crisis.

The programme’s philosophy is based on a strong belief: anyone can learn to help. You don’t need to be a therapist to offer confidence, security and active listening to someone in difficulty.

This vision explains why ensa is experiencing rapid growth in businesses, schools, and public institutions.

A certified and recognised programme: structure, duration and formats

The ENSA training programme is designed to be accessible and comprehensive.

• Usual duration: 12 hours, spread over several sessions.
• Available formats: in-person or webinar, depending on the module.
• Approximate cost: around CHF 380, including equipment and official certificate.
• Format: alternating between theory, guided discussions and role-playing exercises.
• Certification: issuance of a mental health first aid card, valid for several years and renewable via a refresher course.

This structure enables everyone to gradually acquire skills while developing useful reflexes in both their personal and professional lives.

Skills learned during training: recognising warning signs and responding with empathy

The ensa training course helps participants develop the essential reflexes needed to respond to psychological distress, whether in a colleague, a loved one or in the community. Through a progressive and accessible approach, each participant learns to identify the initial symptoms, establish a reassuring dialogue and adopt a caring attitude.

The aim is not to make a diagnosis, but to understand what is happening, to offer active listening, and to encourage the person to seek professional help. Through practical tools, we discover how to act without judgement, how to manage our own stress, and how to avoid feeling helpless in delicate situations.

This section forms the core of the ensa programme: knowing how to recognise, understand and respond appropriately.

Identify early symptoms: stress, anxiety, isolation, and behavioural changes.

The first signs of mental health issues often appear subtly. The ensa training programme teaches participants how to spot these warning signs, which include:

• sudden changes in behaviour
• unusual social withdrawal or isolation
• irritability, persistent fatigue or marked stress
• loss of interest, sleep or appetite disorders
• disturbing remarks about personal worth, life or the future

These behavioural indicators are essential for early detection. The aim is to take action early, before the situation worsens.

The training also highlights risk factors (work pressure, trauma, substance use) and protective factors (support network, stabilising activities, routines).

Understanding the main disorders covered in ENSA courses

In order to respond appropriately, it is necessary to be familiar with the main types of situations encountered in everyday life. Without becoming a specialist, mental health first aiders learn to recognise the characteristics of:

• depression
• anxiety disorders
• the suicide crisis
• burnout
• substance abuse

These concepts are presented in a simple manner, using psychoeducation, concrete examples and reliable benchmarks.

In particular, it explains how to distinguish between a difficult period and a proven disorder, how to assess the urgency of a situation, and how to encourage the person to mobilise their support network or resources.

Acting as a mental health first aider: attitude, empathy, dialogue and safety

The ENSA intervention is based on a few key principles:

• create a safe environment
• adopt a listening posture without judgement
• ask open-ended questions to encourage dialogue
• assess whether the situation requires immediate assistance
• refer the person to professional help
• stay emotionally secure

The ENSA intervention protocol is designed to be simple, humane and applicable in everyday life. Through discussions, practical exercises and role-playing, participants develop genuine psychosocial skills, which are essential for acting with empathy and discernment.

Practical learning: exercises, scenarios and active teaching methods in ENSA courses

One of the strengths of the ensa training programme is its resolutely practical nature. Here, there is no abstract theory or long lectures: you learn by doing, observing and discussing. Thanks to active learning, participants experience situations close to real life in order to develop useful reflexes when someone is going through an emotional crisis or showing warning signs.

This progressive learning process helps to strengthen empathy, listening skills and self-confidence, three essential pillars of psychological first aid. The tools and activities offered provide a safe environment where everyone can test, ask questions and improve their support skills without judgement.

It is this practical dimension that makes the difference: we do not just learn what to do, we learn how to react.

Case studies and role-playing: developing the right reflexes in real-life situations

Ensa courses use numerous role-playing exercises inspired by real-life situations: a colleague suffering from burnout, a loved one in distress, an anxious student, an isolated neighbour, etc. These scenarios enable students to:

• to observe the behaviours associated with various disorders (anxiety, depression, substance abuse, etc.)
• to practise adopting a caring attitude
• to test the step-by-step intervention protocol
• to learn to maintain clear and reassuring communication
• to receive constructive feedback from the group and the trainer

These simulations bring learning to life and reinforce psychosocial skills, which are essential for calmly intervening in real life situations.

Ensa manual, psychoeducation and tools used during training

Each participant receives an ensa manual, a reference document that includes:

• scientific benchmarks on mental health
• practical guidelines for conducting a situation assessment
• the main risk factors and protective factors
• examples of intervention
• best practices in health promotion

This manual is designed as an “after-training” resource, providing clear guidance in case of doubt.
Psychoeducation, which is integrated throughout the programme, also helps to demystify mental health issues and provide a better understanding of what people with mental health difficulties are going through.

Becoming a local carer: how skills fit into everyday life

Ensa skills are designed to be transferable to everyday life. They enable you to:

• to assist a colleague who is overworked or experiencing burnout
• supporting a friend who is experiencing depression
• to identify the vulnerability of an isolated teenager
• supporting a family member going through a difficult period
• to foster a climate of psychological safety within your company

Over time, these actions become natural reflexes, improving the quality of relationships and strengthening the community around you. This is what makes ensa much more than just training: it is a practical tool for everyday action.

Ensa courses available in Switzerland: for adults, teenagers, businesses and schools

The ensa programme has been designed to adapt to different needs, different ages and different life contexts. Whether you want to support a loved one, better assist teenagers, strengthen prevention in a company or raise awareness in an entire class, there is an appropriate ensa module. This diversity of courses makes the programme accessible to everyone, while respecting the realities of the Swiss context: teamwork, community life, multicultural schools, and the requirements of local organisations or communities.

Each training course covers the basics of psychological first aid, but with examples, exercises and priorities tailored to the target audience. This explains ensa’s growing success in Switzerland, both among individuals and institutions.

The ENSA “Adults” course: the most popular in Switzerland

The ensa Adults course is the best known and most popular training programme. It is aimed at anyone aged 18 or over who wants to learn how to recognise the warning signs and respond to mental distress in adults.

It covers topics such as:

• identifying early symptoms (stress, anxiety, isolation)
• the main disorders concerned (depression, burnout, substance abuse, suicidal crisis)
• the stages of the intervention protocol
• how to refer the person to professional help
• how to act while respecting one’s own limits

Its practical and well-structured approach makes it the ideal training course to start with.

The ENSA course “Adolescents”: acting early and promoting primary prevention

Young people are particularly vulnerable to stress, periods of uncertainty and sometimes isolation. The ensa Jeunes course has therefore been designed for adults who work with teenagers: parents, teachers, educators, sports coaches, social workers, etc.

It helps to:

• identify signs of vulnerability in a teenager
• understand the most common disorders at this age (anxiety, eating disorders, risky behaviours)
• engage in clear and reassuring dialogue
• encourage seeking support within the care network or school setting
• avoid reactions that aggravate the situation (minimisation, judgement, pressure)

Short formats are available for school classes, often in the form of 3.5-hour modules focused on psychoeducation and psychosocial skills.

Training for businesses: strengthening a culture of prevention and psychological safety

Mental health is now a key issue in Swiss companies. The ensa programme offers modules specially tailored to the professional world, enabling employees to become resource persons capable of identifying a worrying situation and responding appropriately.

These training courses enable you to:

• supporting employees who are overworked or experiencing burnout
• reduce stress and improve the working environment
• identify signs of anxiety, distress or conflict earlier
• strengthen protective factors within teams
• develop a genuine culture of prevention

Some official recommendations suggest that 20% of trained employees are sufficient to transform an organisation and secure its working environment.

Why take an ENSA course? Personal, social and professional benefits

The ensa training course does not just teach a protocol: it transforms the way you interact with others. By learning mental health first aid, everyone develops a new way of perceiving psychological distress, understanding warning signs and intervening with a caring attitude.

The benefits extend far beyond the training itself. They affect personal life, social relationships, the world of work and collective psychological safety. It is an approach that reinforces empathy, support, the ability to remain calm and act with discernment. For many, ensa represents a simple but powerful way to improve their everyday environment.

For oneself: developing confidence, benchmarks and psychosocial skills

By taking an ENSA course, you will acquire clear guidelines for understanding what a person experiencing emotional distress is going through. This reassuring framework allows you to:

• better manage one’s own stress when faced with a difficult situation
• to strengthen one’s confidence in one’s ability to help
• to avoid awkward reactions (minimising, dramatising, giving advice too quickly)
• to develop psychosocial skills that are useful in all circumstances
• learning to maintain one’s own emotional security

This training course acts as a veritable toolkit for dealing with complex human situations.

For others: providing better support to loved ones, colleagues and the community

Many people go through difficult times without knowing where to turn. Becoming a local carer through ensa allows you to:

• offer active listening and a safe space for dialogue
• identify burnout or depression before the situation becomes critical
• encourage seeking professional help
• act in accordance with the person’s needs and limitations
• help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health

It is a civic gesture that strengthens the community and cultivates a climate of lasting trust.

For the company: safety, wellbeing, reduction of psychosocial risks

Swiss companies are increasingly confronted with work-related stress, a lack of emotional support and difficulties linked to burnout. A strong culture of prevention is therefore essential. Ensa training courses enable:

• to identify early on any vulnerability in an employee
• to support a colleague who is overworked or in an emotional crisis
• improve psychological safety within teams
• reduce absenteeism and tensions
• to strengthen cohesion and the quality of professional relationships

A company that invests in mental health also sends a strong signal: it puts people at the heart of its priorities.

How can I take an ENSA training course with SafetyFirst? (ENSA-approved organisation)

To follow an ensa training course in French-speaking Switzerland, SafetyFirst is one of the organisations officially approved to provide mental health first aid courses. A recognised specialist in safety, first aid and prevention in the workplace, SafetyFirst offers tailored, reliable support that complies with ensa programme standards.

Thanks to its field experience and certified trainers, SafetyFirst.ch offers an accessible, structured and supportive learning environment for individuals, corporate teams and institutions seeking to strengthen their culture of prevention.

SafetyFirst: a Swiss organisation certified to provide training in psychological first aid

SafetyFirst.ch stands out for several reasons:

• Ensa-approved organisation, guaranteeing content that complies with the Swiss curriculum
• Certified and experienced trainers, capable of adapting to different audiences
• Recognised expertise in safety, risk prevention and emergency management
• Practical teaching approach: realistic scenarios, concrete examples, supportive attitude
• Commitment to quality, inclusion and creating safer working environments
• Structured offer for individuals, businesses and local authorities

This expertise enables SafetyFirst to link ensa skills to everyday realities: organisations, families, schools, communities.

Available formats: in-class, in-company or webinar

To adapt to the needs and constraints of participants, SafetyFirst.ch offers several formats:

• Face-to-face lessons, in small groups, to practise role-playing and simulations
• In-company sessions, ideal for strengthening the skills of an entire team and establishing a culture of psychological safety
• Ensa webinars, enabling distance learning while maintaining interaction
• Modules tailored to the context (adults, teenagers, managers, employees)

This flexibility facilitates access to training in all regions of French-speaking Switzerland.

Registration, fees and practical arrangements

To participate in an ensa training course with SafetyFirst.ch:

• Online registration directly via the SafetyFirst website
• Access to the various modules (Adults, Young People, Businesses, etc.)
• Indicative price in line with ENSA standards: approximately £380, including equipment, manual and certificate.
• Sessions spread over several half-days for progressive learning
• Ensa certificate awarded at the end of the training course
• Possibility of refresher courses to renew your skills after several years

SafetyFirst also assists companies in organising tailor-made training courses, adapted to their schedules, objectives and specific requirements in the field.

FAQ: simple and informative answers to common questions

The ensa training programme often raises the same questions, whether you are an individual, a professional, a parent or an employer. Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions, presented in a clear and accessible way to guide you in your choices.

Is the ENSA training programme open to everyone?

Yes, ENSA courses are open to anyone aged 18 or over, with no medical or psychological prerequisites. The programme is designed specifically for non-specialists, i.e. people who want to better understand psychological distress and learn how to respond with empathy and active listening.

What is the difference between ENSA and a degree in psychology?

ensa does not train therapists. The aim is to teach mental health first aid: recognising warning signs, establishing a dialogue, assessing the situation and referring the person to professional help when necessary.
Clinical psychology, on the other hand, focuses on diagnosis, treatment and therapeutic support.

How long does the ENSA training programme last?

Most ENSA courses last approximately 12 hours, spread over several sessions (often four half-days). Some shorter modules are available for schools or youth groups.

How much does an ENSA training course cost?

The indicative price for an ENSA training course is approximately CHF 380, including:

• the ensa manual
• all course materials
• the official certificate of mental health first aider

Prices may vary slightly depending on the format (in-person, corporate, webinar).

Do I need to have medical knowledge to take the course?

No, absolutely not. ensa is designed for people who have no experience in mental health. The programme uses simple language, concrete examples and active learning techniques (role-playing, case studies) to facilitate understanding.

How do you know when to intervene?

The ENSA training programme provides you with clear guidelines for identifying:

• unusual behavioural changes
• stress that sets in
• a loss of energy, motivation or interest
• disturbing or ambiguous remarks
• sudden isolation

As soon as something worries you, you can start a caring conversation, ask open-ended questions and assess the situation. ensa teaches you how to intervene without judgement, while respecting your boundaries.

How long is the ENSA certificate valid for?

The ENSA certificate is valid for several years and can be renewed by taking a refresher course. This additional module allows you to update your knowledge and extend the validity of your training for an additional three years.

Can I take the course on my own or in a group?

Both are possible:

• individual registration for open sessions
• organisation of dedicated training courses for companies, schools, associations or work teams

SafetyFirst.ch offers both options, with certified trainers.

Which languages are available in Switzerland?

Depending on the region, ENSA courses are available in:

• French
• German
• Italian
• English

This allows the training to be adapted to the linguistic realities of the country.

What should you do if the situation is urgent or dangerous?

In the event of a serious crisis (immediate risk of suicide, dangerous behaviour, extreme confusion, etc.), you must:

1. ensure your safety and that of the other person
2. contact the emergency services (144 in Switzerland)
3. stay present as much as possible while waiting for help

ensa also teaches you how to recognise these critical situations and act appropriately.

A civic initiative to improve mental health in Switzerland

The ensa training course is much more than just a course: it is a practical tool for creating more prevention, support and psychological safety in our daily lives. By learning mental health first aid, everyone can develop simple reflexes to spot warning signs, engage in a caring conversation and encourage people to seek professional help when necessary.

In a context where stress, anxiety and burnout affect many people in Switzerland, knowing how to respond makes a real difference. This civic gesture helps to strengthen ties within our families, businesses, schools and communities.

By choosing to take the ENSA training course with SafetyFirst.ch, an accredited organisation, you benefit from a reliable framework, accessible teaching methods and certified trainers. It is a simple, humane and useful way to contribute to the collective well-being — and to become a resource person in your community.