Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches the skills needed to recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges, as well as how to provide someone with initial support until they are connected with appropriate professional help. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it builds mental health literacy, helping the public identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness.

Mental Health First Aid teaches the skills needed to recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges, as well
as how to provide someone with initial support until they are connected with appropriate professional help. This evidence-based, early-intervention course
uses community-specific scenarios, activities and videos to help you be prepared to provide support to those in need in your community. Participants
learn a 5-step Action Plan (ALGEE), which includes assessing risk, respectfully listening to and supporting the individual in need, and identifying appropriate professional help and other support.

Topics covered include depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis and substance use disorders. Trainees are taught how to apply the 5-step action plan in a variety of situations such as helping someone through a panic attack, engaging with someone who may be suicidal, or assisting an individual who has overdosed. An important component of the Mental Health First Aid course is the opportunity to practice the intervention strategy rather than to just learn about it. This simple experience can make it easier to actually apply the knowledge in a real-life situation.

MHFA is an 8-hour training course and is often conducted as a one-day seminar, but can be offered in various forms to accommodate the needs of
your team.

We offer:

• In-person training – Leaners will receive their training as an 8-hour, instructor-led, in-person course.
• Virtual training – Online course by tele-video instructor led sessions
• Blended training – Learners complete a 2-hour self-paced online course, and follow up with a 4.5 to 5.5-hour instructor-led training. The
  instructor-led training can be a done via zoom or as an in-person class.

• Friends and family of individuals with mental illness or addiction,
• Key professionals (such as police officers, human resources directors, and
  primary care workers)
• School administration and employees
• Child care facilities
• Youth under 21
• Any individuals with direct and recurring contact with students
• First responders, military service members, veterans and their families
• Judges and attorneys
• Faith communities
• Anyone interested in learning more about mental illness and addiction