Mental Health First Aid is a national course teaching people how to identify and support people experiencing mental health or substances use challenges.
Mental Health First Aid is a public education program that introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of
mental illnesses, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common supports. This 8-hour course uses
role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to offer initial help in a mental health crisis and connect persons to
the appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care. The program also teaches the common risk factors
and warning signs of specific types of illnesses, like anxiety, depression, substance use, bipolar disorder, eating
disorders, and schizophrenia.
Mental Health First Aid is included on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National
Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).
