Mental Health First Aid Training

Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that teaches you how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training helps you identify, understand, and respond to signs of addictions and mental illnesses.

How Training Furthers the Kansas MCH 5-Year Action Plan

Many of MCH's Priorities and Measures could be furthered with Mental Health First Aid training.

• Priority 1: Women have access to & utilize integrated, holistic, patient-centered care before, during, & after pregnancy.
• Priority 2: All infants & families have support from strong community systems to optimize infant health & well-being
• Priority 3: Children & families have access to & utilize developmentally appropriate services & supports through collaborative & integrated communities.
• Priority 4: Adolescents & young adults have access to & utilize integrated, holistic, patient-centered care to support physical, social, & emotional health.
• Priority 5: Communities, families, & providers have the knowledge, skills, & comfort to support transitions & empowerment opportunities.
• Priority 6: Professionals have the knowledge, skills, & comfort to address the needs of maternal & child health populations.
• Priority 7: Strengths-based supports & services are available to promote healthy families & relationships.

What You Learn

Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help.

Topics: Depression & mood disorders, Anxiety disorder, Trauma, Psychosis, Substance Use disorders.

Course Types

Adult: The adult Mental Health First Aid course is appropriate for anyone age 18 and older who wants to learn how to help a person who may be experiencing a mental health related crisis or problem.

Youth: The youth Mental Health First Aid course is primarily intended for adults to learn how to help young people experiencing mental health challenges or crises. It reviews the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents ages 12-18 and emphasizes the importance of early intervention.

Page information provided by Mental Health First Aid USA, an organization managed by National Council for Behavioral Health and Missouri Department of Mental Health.