Take Mental Health First Aid
You want the details: How to get a Mental Health First Aid certificate. How much it costs. Where to find MHFA classes. We have all the answers right here.
Why Should I Take MHFA?
Before you sign up for a course, let’s talk about the benefits of becoming a Mental Health First Aider. There’s ample evidence for the value of our training. Here are some highlights.
Be Prepared to Help Others
Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to apply the MHFA Action Plan (ALGEE) to help someone in a variety of situations, from a panic attack to an overdose.
Build Your Own Resiliency
As part of MHFA training, you’ll learn about self-help strategies and how to encourage people to use them. Then you can use those same skills to build your own resiliency and internal support system.
Join a National Network of First Aiders
First Aiders are united by a common goal — to help people and transform communities, one conversation at a time. Annual networking events, monthly newsletters and more help you stay connected.
Find the Confidence to Speak Up
Our training takes the fear out of talking about mental health by showing you how to safely identify and help with mental health or substance use challenges.
Make Recovery a Reality
Mental Health First Aid gives you the tools and resources to help people get started on the journey toward lasting recovery. You’ll know how to speak up at the right time, when you’re needed most.
Get on the Path to Become an Instructor
The first step to being a MHFA Instructor is to become a First Aider. Then as an Instructor, you can make an even bigger difference by teaching your family, friends and neighbors to help others in need.
Types of Training
Learn to Help Adults
Adult Mental Health First Aid teaches adults to offer the first level of support to other adults who may be facing a mental health or substance use challenge.
Learn MoreLearn to Help Youth
With Youth Mental Health First Aid training, adults can support young people in distress. teen Mental Health First Aid gives young people the skills to support their peers in need.
Learn MoreTraining Process
In a Mental Health First Aid course, you’ll dig into the material and relate what you learn to real-life situations. Discussion topics, exercises and more keep you engaged and give you chances to practice your new skills. Training is held in person or online, to meet every learner’s needs.
See How It WorksFind a Training
To find a training or Instructor near you, enter your location below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If you want to learn more about supporting people in specific communities or industries, you can learn more on our course pages:
- Adult MHFA
- Also available in Spanish
- Adult MHFA for Corrections Professionals
- Adult MHFA for Fire/EMS
- Adult MHFA for Higher Education
- Adult MHFA for Military, Veterans and Their Families
- Adult MHFA for Older Adults
- Adult MHFA for Public Safety
- Adult MHFA for Rural Communities
- Mental Health First Aid at Work
- Mental Health First Aid at Work for Manufacturing
- Mental Health First Aid at Work for Restaurants
- Mental Health First Aid at Work for Retail
- teen MHFA
- Also available in Spanish
- Youth MHFA
- Also available in Spanish
- Youth MHFA for Tribal Communities and Indigenous Peoples
We offer multiple training formats to meet your needs:
- In-person — Learners attend a day-long in-person session led by an Instructor.
- Blended — Learners complete a 2-hour, self-paced online course and then attend a half-day training led by an Instructor. This training can be held online (“Blended Virtual”) or in person (“Blended In-person”).
You can search for courses near you through our Find-a-Course tool. Then you can filter results based on the start date, course type, location, distance and Instructor name.
Research has been done on how MHFA works, what it achieves and the impact it has across the United States. Since 2013, over 70 peer-reviewed studies have been published. They show that people trained in MHFA show lower stigma and greater empathy toward people with mental health challenges. They also have more confidence and likelihood to help someone in distress.
Looking to Train a Group?
You can help your staff or students better support each other with our group training options. MHFA gives teams the skills to notice signs of mental health challenges and respond with care. Make mental wellness part of your organizational culture.
February 5, 2018
Mental Health First Aid Has Changed the Way We Do Our Job
Read MorePublic Safety