Mental Health First Aid

MHFA is a public education course that teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. It also provides training in the skills you need to provide initial help and support for someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis. 

MHFA is well-researched and evidence-based. It was developed in Australia in the year 2000 and has spread to more than 25 countries across the world. To date, over 5 million people have been trained in MHFA globally.

MHFA was brought to the United States in 2008 by the National Council of Mental Wellbeing. Since then, several versions have been developed for various American populations, such as Adult MHFA, Youth MHFA, and Teen MHFA. Community-specific versions of MHFA have also been developed for the following populations: Spanish-speaking adults, Spanish-speaking youth, Fire/EMS workers, public safety workers, military/veterans and their families, older adults, higher education communities, and rural communities. MHFA continues to grow and develop to meet the cultural needs of people in the United States. 

You can find more information about MHFA on the MHFA website.