Founded in 1789, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) is the nation’s first public university. It enrolls over 32,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, and employs almost 14,000 faculty and staff.
UNC-Chapel Hill has long prioritized mental health and wellness for its students, faculty and staff. As mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, substance use and isolation have become more prevalent on college campuses, the university has recognized the urgent need to reduce stigma and equip students, staff and faculty with practical tools for supporting one another.
Behavioral Health Springboard (BHS) started providing MHFA with a SAMSHA grant in 2015. When grant-funding ended in 2021, efforts were made to establish Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) on campus which officially began in 2022. To address these concerns, BHS at the UNC School of Social Work was tasked with implementing MHFA courses across campus. For more than a decade prior, BHS had been working across the state of NC to development and provide continuing education on evidence based treatment and interventions to NC licensed mental and behavioral health provider. Since its initial launch, MHFA has played a significant role in shifting mental health culture on campus and throughout North Carolina. Today, UNC-Chapel Hill makes MHFA training available at no charge to interested faculty, staff and students.
Since the fall 2022 semester, UNC has trained 1,647 people in MHFA.
MHFA is an evidence-based program designed to equip people with the skills to identify and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges, offering initial support until professional help can be accessed. Initially, MHFA on campus trained gatekeepers such as faculty and staff in Adult MHFA (for adults helping adults). Since then, they’ve expanded to include Youth MHFA (for adults helping youth) and teen MHFA (for teens helping their peers), greatly broadening MHFA’s reach and impact across North Carolina.
Tiffany Edouard, the MHFA Coordinator for the Behavioral Health Springboard, said, “From a faculty and staff perspective, there’s a lot of front-line work that happens in the classroom, where you notice students’ struggles day in and day out. It’s incredible to be able to not just refer them to an academic counselor but to actually intervene and assess what resources they need. From a student’s perspective, it’s invaluable for conversations with peers, who are often the first to hear from someone in need. MHFA provides a foundational tool that enhances the campus culture for everyone.”
She added, “The success here is evident. Many of our Mental Health First Aiders want to return as Instructors, and we’ve heard many stories of people recommending MHFA to friends and staff. Some even want to incorporate MHFA into their curriculum or professional development, which speaks to the program’s value.”
The success of MHFA at UNC-Chapel Hill is evident in both qualitative and quantitative outcomes. More than 1,600 learners have been trained in MHFA since the fall 2022 semester, and data shows a marked increase in confidence:
Alicia Freeman, MHFA Program Manager for the Behavioral Health Springboard, noted that the program regularly receives feedback during and after training sessions, including emails from participants explaining how the training has made a difference in their lives.
“A participant in an in-person Adult MHFA training emailed me a week later,” Freeman said. “Her neighbor, a close friend, was going through a tough time. [The First Aider] was able to ask the critical question, ‘Are you thinking about suicide?’ That conversation helped her connect her friend with the necessary support.”
Outside of Chapel Hill, the program has partnered with other UNC institutions and community organizations, training thousands of individuals statewide. These efforts have contributed to a noticeable decrease in student suicides, further demonstrating the program’s effectiveness.
Since the beginning, private Instructor trainings have been a key strategy for scaling MHFA at UNC-Chapel Hill. These sessions bring together small groups (six to 16 participants), creating a collaborative and supportive cohort model. This approach ensures Instructor candidates learn together and continue to receive support from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, which operates MHFA nationally, and UNC’s Behavioral Health Springboard.
Freeman said, “The cohort model helps us meet Instructor candidates where they are in the learning process. By offering open office hours and check-ins, we provide individualized support and ensure everyone has the resources they need to succeed. … The camaraderie that forms when they go through the process together strengthens their confidence and builds lasting support networks.”
Since 2023, UNC-Chapel Hill has hosted 15 private Instructor trainings — three for Adult MHFA, eight for Youth MHFA and four for teen MHFA — certifying nearly 200 new Instructors to meet the growing demand for MHFA training.
Clinical Assistant Professor Karon Johnson, an Adult MHFA Instructor, recalled her own experience in one of these cohorts, saying, “My Instructor training for Mental Health First Aid was wonderful. It took place over three days here in the School of Social Work. The Instructors from the National Council were patient, engaging and funny. I loved learning alongside the cohort, and I felt inspired and encouraged to try the techniques we were learning. It was a great model for how we could later implement these strategies in our own teaching.”
The success of UNC-Chapel Hill’s MHFA program has been fueled by diverse funding sources and strategic partnerships. Freeman emphasizes the importance of collaborations, both on campus and in the community, to ensure long-term sustainability.
Key partnerships, such as with the UNC Suicide Prevention Institute, have integrated MHFA training into the university’s broader suicide prevention efforts. The program has also collaborated with departments like the School of Nursing and School of Social Work to train faculty and staff who can offer MHFA courses within their own areas.
With private Instructor trainings, UNC-Chapel Hill has been able to train large groups at once, ensuring a steady flow of qualified Instructors and allowing the program to scale rapidly and ensure quality.
The success of MHFA at UNC-Chapel Hill has sparked a broader movement across North Carolina, with a $4.6 million investment from the state to expand the program into underrepresented communities. The private Instructor training model has been essential in enabling this expansion.
Freeman and her team are focusing on extending the program’s reach beyond the state, particularly to rural and tribal areas. The goal is to create a comprehensive support system for mental health, integrating resources for faculty, staff and students at all levels of the community.
The transformative impact of MHFA at UNC-Chapel Hill showcases the power of community-based mental health training. Through private Instructor trainings, the program has fostered a collaborative, supportive environment where each person can be empowered to make a real difference in addressing mental health challenges.
As the program continues to grow, UNC-Chapel Hill remains a leader in mental health education, demonstrating that when communities unite to address mental health, meaningful, lasting change is possible.
Interested in bringing MHFA to your organization or community? Learn more about hosting a private Instructor training and how you can make a difference.
