Mental Health First Aid Training

EdAdvance, in collaboration with project partners Apex Community Services, Greenwoods Counseling and Referral Services, and Western CT Coalition, provides Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Teen Mental Health First Aid, and QPR Suicide Prevention Training. These trainings are open to community-based organizations, faith-based institutions, schools, veterans, family members of active service personnel and veterans, current and future health care professionals, educators, and other school personnel, those serving individuals at risk of substance use disorder, and the general public at no cost to participants.

 

Mental Health First Aid Trainings are certification programs developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Learners can choose to meet virtually, in-person, or as a blended model where they complete a portion of the training as a self-paced online course, followed by a multi-hour, instructor-led training. The instructor-led portion of the blended model can be scheduled as a Zoom video conference or as an in-person class.

 

• Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a 7.5-hour certification class that teaches adults how to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health or substance use challenges, offer and initiate help, and guide an adult to appropriate care if necessary. We offer MHFA customized for college students (including future health care professionals and educators), veterans, active military and their families (focusing on military culture and unique risk factors) and Older Adults (focusing on unique experiences and needs of adults over age 65). MHFA is for any adult who wants to be better prepared to help individuals experiencing a mental health challenge.

 

• Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is a 7.5-hour certification class that focuses on early identification of mental health issues in adolescents, protective and risk factors, and how to safely initiate appropriate connections to services. It includes recognizing and responding to crisis and non-crisis situations and teaches how to reduce stigma around mental health. YMHFA is for any adult who works, volunteers, or intersects with youth and adolescents, and is especially helpful for middle and high school teachers and other school personnel.

 

• Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) is a 4.5-hour certification class split over 3 days (1.5 hours each day) and is for students in grades 10-12. Teens will learn how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges in their friends and peers. They will learn about the impact of school violence and bullying on mental health and how to seek the help of a responsible and trusted adult. tMHFA is for high schools and youth-serving organizations and may be scheduled fully in-person or as a blended model.

 

QPR is a 1.5-hour suicide prevention training program (virtual or in person) designed to teach “gatekeepers” who are strategically positioned to recognize and refer someone at risk of suicide, the warning signs of a suicide crisis, and how to respond by following three steps: Question the individual’s desire or intent regarding suicide; Persuade the person to seek and accept help; Refer the person to appropriate resources. QPR is the most widely distributed gatekeeper training program in the world. QPR Training, if in-person, may be scheduled at a site selected by the group of participants. QPR Training is open to both adults and high school students.

 

These no-cost mental health trainings are made possible through a generous grant from SAMHSA. Mental Health First Aid programs are valued at $170 per learner.

 

For more information or to schedule a training workshop, please contact:

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Diane Cassidy, MHAT-WCT Program Coordinator, at cassidy@edadvance.org or 860.567.0863 ext. 1252.

 

We are happy to work with you to schedule a training workshop that meets your group’s specific needs.