In short, no.
As a not-for-profit and registered charity, we strive to keep courses, materials, and licensing fees as affordable as possible. This helps ensure that Mental Health First Aid Australia courses are accessible to everyone. However, there are operational costs that need to be covered and a key component of meeting these costs is the annual licensing fee.
The licensing fees partially cover the cost of the support services available to Instructors each year. These services include our 5-day per week telephone helpline, national website and the supporting infrastructure like digital marketing, curriculum development, research, and evaluation. We also employ Instructor Specialists who deliver community of practice events for our instructor network, provide mentoring and guidance and develop the resources to support instructors on their journey.
As much as we would like to provide services for free, to do so would be unsustainable for MHFA and would impact our ability to achieve our charitable purpose.