Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Certification Training
Registration for this training is now full! However, please join the waitlist to be contacted for future training opportunities.
In the United States, more than 2.5 million people are trained Mental Health First Aiders, and you could be one of them. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues. This interactive, hands-on training gives participants the skills, capacity, and knowledge to support someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
MFHA is an evidence-based training that will help you support your clients, colleagues, family members, and friends, as well as yourself. MHFA trains participants to:
- Recognize signs and symptoms that may be associated with a mental health challenge
- Listen non-judgmentally and give reassurance
- Apply appropriate steps of the MHFA Action Plan (ALGEE) when a person shows worsening signs of a mental health challenge, or in crisis situations.
- Refer someone who may need support and services
The training will take place over the course of two days, November 29, 2022 and December 1, 2022 from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET (6.5 hours total, 3.25 hours per day with two breaks). Participants must attend both sessions to receive certification as a Mental Health First Aider. During this training, you will be expected to:
- Turn on your camera and actively participate.
- Stay for the duration of the 2-day, 6.5-hour training.
- Openly respect the viewpoints of others, regardless of whether the participant shares these viewpoints.
- Ask for help, support, or clarification on the course material at any time during the training.
Participants are required to complete approximately 2.5 hours of pre-work via the MHFA website before the first day of the training. Once registered, you will receive instructions for completing the pre-work and for downloading the course materials.
This training is limited to 30 people. Participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis and we will maintain a waitlist once capacity is reached.
Facilitators:
- Leslie deRosset, MPH, MSPH, Research Investigator, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), Gillings School of Global Public Health, Maternal and Child Health Department
- Jaimie Lea, MPH, IBCLC Research Associate, UNC-CH School of Medicine, Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health
- Sarah Verbiest, DrPH, MSW, MPH, Director of the Jordan Institute for Families in the UNC–CH School of Social Work, Executive Director, UNC-CH School of Medicine, Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health
Learning objectives:
After this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Describe the purpose of MHFA and the role of the MHF Aider.
- Identify the impact of mental health challenges on the well-being of adults in the United States.
- Describe the principles of safety and privacy for both the MHF Aider and the person receiving MHFA.
- Explain the 5 steps of the MHFA Action Plan (ALGEE).
- Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges that may impact adults. Evaluate the impact of early intervention on mental health challenges.
- Apply the appropriate steps of the MHFA Action Plan (ALGEE) when a person shows worsening signs of a mental health challenge.
- Apply the appropriate steps of the MHFA Action Plan (ALGEE) to crisis situations.
- Choose appropriate methods of self-care following the application of MHFA in a crisis or non-crisis situation [for yourself].