Become a MHFA Instructor
Every action can create a ripple effect that makes waves bigger than yourself. Apply to become a Mental Health First Aid Instructor and help create a healthier, more caring community.
Start Your Ripple
Sometimes, it can be hard to know how to make the world a better place, or how one person can make a difference. But every wave starts with a ripple. Become a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and you can teach your community how to help someone experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. Then watch your ripple grow.
Make Waves in Your Community
MHFA Instructors teach life-changing skills that help people facing mental health or substance use challenges. Like ripples in water, their impact spreads far and wide. Working alone or with an organization, they share a trusted program, connect with others and create a learning experience that lasts.
Connect With Your Community
MHFA Instructors connect people. They build knowledge and empathy to create caring communities that are free from stigma.
Teach Skills and Instill Hope
MHFA Instructors teach vital skills that help people spot the signs of mental health challenges and respond with confidence.
Be a Voice for Change
MHFA Instructors raise awareness of mental health and substance use challenges. They drive change through compassion and action.
Lead With Purpose
MHFA Instructors lead by example. They inspire others to care for their mental wellbeing and support those around them in meaningful ways.
Choose Your Courses
MHFA comes in a wide range of forms — just like the people you know. Choose the training that’s tailored to who you want to help.
Train Others to Help Adults
Teach adults how to help other adults in your community. We offer courses for Spanish speakers, higher education staff, first responders and more.
Learn MoreTrain Others to Help Youth
Teach adults how to help youth ages 12-18. We offer courses for Spanish speakers and youth from Tribal and Indigenous communities.
Learn MoreMHFA Instructors are…
- Community and religious leaders
- Teachers, coaches and school staff
- Nurses, emergency response and hospital staff
- Social workers and peer support staff
- Public service and safety professionals
- Military and veterans services professionals
- Everyday people looking to increase their community impact
How to Become a MHFA Instructor
Fill out our quick 5-minute application to find out if becoming an Instructor is right for you. Then join one of our dynamic 3-day trainings! They include pre-work done at your own pace, expert-led instruction and hands-on practice leading a class. You’ll gain the confidence to teach adult learners, master the MHFA curriculum and develop the skills to engage varied audiences.
Learn MoreHost a Private Instructor Course
Is your organization thinking about training 6 or more Instructors? If so, a private Instructor training may be more cost-effective.
Ongoing Support for Instructors
Becoming an Instructor is just the beginning. Our Client Success Team will make sure you have what you need to succeed, from your first course onward. There are webinars, tutorials and classroom videos, guides, marketing templates and more. Join a national community that’s ready to help you grow.
Learn MoreFind a Training
To find a training or Instructor near you, enter your location below.
Catie Gilman
Mount Holyoke College
“As an athletic trainer, mental health is as much a part of my job as physical health. The opportunity to be a MHFA Instructor for my Athletics department as well as campus community felt as natural as being a CPR/AED instructor. MHFA equips coaches, ATs, admin and any other student-forward employee with the ability to
Judith LeDoux
Anna Maria College
“As someone who is certified in MHFA, I see firsthand how the concepts and training can be beneficial within college life, as well as in Athletics. For many college athletes, they see the trainers and coaches as their closest and most trusted adult figures on campus. Having them trained in MHFA can only provide a
Jennifer Ostrowski
PhD, LAT, ATC, Moravian University
“In this population, I have found that the knowledge gained as part of the MHFA program has helped decrease the stigma related to mental illness in Athletics, and the skills and techniques have empowered coaches to approach athletes with their concerns and encourage them to seek professional mental health services.”
Rev. Dr. Christian Frazier
Youth MHFA Instructor
“Mental health remains a topic many avoid, but Team: Changing Minds provides a platform that makes learning both engaging and impactful. My background in acting and stand-up comedy allows me to bring humor and storytelling into the classroom. I strive to make my trainings immersive, and when participants say, “You’re the best teacher I’ve ever
Chris James
Youth MHFA Instructor
“I was inspired to apply for the Team: Changing Minds grant for Youth MHFA because I wanted to be even more equipped to do this work we do daily. I wanted to be able to serve the parents, educators and community members who serve these boys. I knew how much Youth MHFA inspired me and
Cathy Muse
Director, Public Promise Procurement, NACo EDGE
“Our partnership with MHFA is giving counties tools to take action — not just awareness. This training is necessary for a thriving workforce.”
Dow Constantine
County Executive, King County, Washington
“We started offering MHFA to our supervisors. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Employees feel confident in recognizing and responding to challenges.”
Toni Holmes
Toni Holmes, Director, Talent Management, Rockdale County, Georgia
“We brought it into all our trainings — public safety, supervisors, leadership. MHFA provided a different level of support alongside [the Employee Assistance Program].”
Alyssa Fruchtenich
School-based Mental Health Coordinator, UnityPoint Health
“It can be scary for an adult who suspects a child is thinking of hurting themselves. Where do you start the conversation? When a teacher says, ‘How can I be helpful?’ it can be a lifeline to that kid.”
Nikki Karber
President, Speak Out Against Suicide
“Our small community has been greatly affected by suicide. While mental health is a topic that many wish to not discuss, we feel that Mental Health First Aid was essential in bringing the knowledge and awareness our community is striving for. Without it, we would have continued to feel helpless.”
Captain Joseph Coffey
Ret., Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy and MHFA National Trainer
“My Mental Health First Aid training helped me save a life, and regular incidents serve as reminders of how public safety officers fall back on their training in times of crisis.”
Ruth Kaluski
Director of Career Connection, Employment Resource Institute at the Mental Health Association in New Jersey
“People who completed the older adult training found it extremely valuable. That’s helped us build a case for the need to increase mental health literacy and reduce stigma in New Jersey’s communities.”
Pepe Juelle
Desarrollador de negocios, Olympic Agency, S.A.; Instructor de PASM
“Mi mayor inspiración para continuar ofreciendo estos adiestramientos y capacitando a personas comunes es saber que estoy ayudando, directa o indirectamente, a los pacientes de salud mental. No hay mayor satisfacción que culminar un adiestramiento a las 5:30 p.m. y ver la expresión de los participantes al salir felices, con una mochila repleta de herramientas
Tiffany Edouard
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“MHFA built a foundation that has really helped the campus culture.”
Michael Allora
Retired Deputy Fire Chief, Clifton (N.J.) Fire Department
“Since completing training, I’ve noticed that there is more conversation about mental health, and that is helping reduce the stigma associated with behavioral health issues. People at our fire department are using what they learned in their personal lives as well as their professional lives.”
Ava Sapolski
Student, Amherst Steele High School
“I was surprised by how much I learned about taking care of my own mental health, being kind to those around me, supporting my friends through rough patches and how to potentially save a life.”
Michaela Hjelm
Wellness Program Manager, Trident Seafoods Corporation
“The trainings opened the door for employees to share their ideas on how we can further our mission as an organization to raise awareness and caring. As a result, we’ve enhanced our paid time off policies and hosted professional on-site counseling sessions.”
Brooke Castillo
Director, Learning and Talent Development, Xylem Inc.
“Mental Health First Aid at Work training has helped people leaders, human resources and environmental health safety and security colleagues find the courage to handle situations that arise. These situations are on the rise, and this training makes it possible to address them with empathy and care.”
Alyssa Fruchtebicht
Mental Health Coordinator, UnityPoint Health – Black Hawk Grundy Mental Health Center
“As adults, we sometimes forget how hard it was being an adolescent. When we see a kid who is just miserable at school, we might think they choose to be that way – or that it’s just part of adolescence. But in fact, they might be in a mental health crisis, one they certainly did
Tousha Paxton-Barnes
U.S. Army Veteran
“So many people are out there wishing for something better, hoping that help will show up. That’s what Mental Health First Aid is — it is help to get people connected to care and ultimately to get them to a better place.”
Taryn Bird
Executive Director of Social Impact, Kate Spade New York
“Over the last five years, kate spade new york has partnered with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to provide Mental Health First Aid training to our nonprofit community partners, as well as over 130 kate spade new york corporate employees. We believe that mental health is a fundamental human right and know the foundational
Lt. Virgil Meyer
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
“I wish that every corrections officer could receive Mental Health First Aid training. I believe that our corrections system would be better because of it – the inmates would benefit, the officers would benefit and ultimately our communities would benefit”
