Mental Health First Aid | Whatcom Community College

Mental Health First Aid logo AHECWW offers Mental Health First Aid trainings for professionals and community members throughout western Washington.

Why Mental Health First Aid?

Enroll in a Mental Health First Aid course to learn a five-step action plan to help loved ones, colleagues, neighbors and others cope with mental health or substance use problems.
Similar to traditional First Aid and CPR, Mental Health First Aid is help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis until professional treatment is obtained or the crisis resolves.
Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based public education and prevention tool – it improves the public’s knowledge of mental health and substance use problems and connects people with care for their mental health or substance use problems.

About

Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid for Adults teaches people how to recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges in adults ages 18 and older, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate care if necessary.

Mental Health First Aid (Youth)

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.

There are three options for either Adult or Youth MHFA training:

Blended: Blended course options comprise of approximately two hours of self-paced online pre-work to be completed by each learner prior to the instructor-led session.

Blended In Person Option OR

Blended Virtual Option (via Zoom)

Adult Blended instructor-led sessions take approximately six hours; Youth Blended instructor-led sessions take approximately 4.5 hours.

Full In Person Training: Learners will complete all work during an instructor-led session; Adult In Person courses are approximately 8.5 hours of content, and Youth In Person courses are approximately 6 hours of content. No pre-work in this option, all work is done with the instructor.

Those who successfully complete the full day are eligible for a Mental Health First Aid certificate issued by the National Council for Behavioral Health. The certificate remains valid for three years and is renewable online. All in person course are limited to maximum of 30 participants; all virtual courses are limited to a maximum of 10 participants.

Through grant funding from the State Department of Health, AHECWW is currently able to offer the trainings free of charge.

The class is great for people of all backgrounds. Students in allied health courses of study are encouraged to consider this training.

Continuing Education Credits

Participants who complete the MHFA course may be eligible to receive continuing education credits (CEs) for Mental Health First Aid courses. After completion of a MHFA course, participants will receive a certificate of completion which they can submit to their board of choice.

Project of the National Council for Behavioral Health

Mental Health First Aid is a project of the National Council for Behavioral Health

Why mental health first aid? Mental Health First Aid was originally created in Australia in 2001 under the auspices of the University of Melbourne, and is now international with programs in countries such as the United Kingdom, China, Canada, Finland and Singapore.

The National Council for Behavioral Health – a national trade group with more than 2,500 member organizations serving millions of Americans nationwide – helped bring Mental Health First Aid to the United States in 2008 with the goal of making it as common as traditional First Aid and CPR are today.

Upcoming Trainings

Current community course offerings (open to the public, first come, first served basis):

NEW DATES COMING SOON!

Email to register: ahecww@whatcom.edu

Subject line: MHFA Course Registration

Include (in body of email):

Course date you wish to join

First and last name

Permanent email address (will be used to notify you of renewal)

Contact