Register Here
Limited to 30 participants

Elective | 4 credits

Course Overview: Youth Mental Health First Aid is an early intervention public education program. It teaches adults how to recognize the signs and symptoms that suggest a potential mental health challenge, how to listen non judgmentally, and give reassurance to a youth (ages 6-18) who may be experiencing a mental health challenge, and how to refer a person to appropriate professional support and services.

Course Objectives: The Blended Mental Health First Aid Course (2–hour self-paced; 4 hours in-person) focuses on recognizing the patterns of thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and appearance that show there might be a mental health challenge. Participants are taught an action plan that they apply to non-crisis and crisis situations.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to: ● Describe the purpose of Mental Health First Aid and the role of the First Aider. ● Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges. ● Explain the impact of traumatic experiences and the role of resilience. ● Apply the appropriate steps of the MHFA Action Plan (ALGEE) to non-crisis situations. ● Apply the appropriate steps of the MHFA Action Plan (ALGEE) to crisis situations. ● Choose appropriate methods for self-care following the application of MHFA

By recognizing signs of mental health distress and knowing how to communicate with individuals experiencing these scary moments, we can be part of an immensely impactful early intervention effort. If we identify problems early, we increase the chances people get the help they need as soon as possible!