Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders in youth. This 6-hour training gives adults who work with youth the skills they need to reach out and provide initial support to children and adolescents (ages 6-18) who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care.

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.

This course will cover common signs and symptoms of mental illness in this age group, including:

Anxiety
Eating Disorders
Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)
Common signs and symptoms of substance use
How to interact with a child or adolescent in crisis
How to connect the person with help
NEW: Expanded content on trauma, addiction and self-care and the impact of social media and bullying

Mental Health First Aid teaches about recovery and resiliency – the belief that individuals experiencing these challenges can and do get better, and use their strengths to stay well.

Prior to attending this session, you will need to complete a few steps:

1. Register for your MHFA Connect Account. You will receive a separate email from the Mental Health First Aid Team to access your MHFA Connect account (be sure to check your email, spam mail, or junk mail). This will give you access to the MHFA Connect site, to complete evaluations, pre-work requirements and access to course materials and your certificate. You must register before you can attend the Instructor-led session. Please reply to this email letting me know when you registered your MHFA Connect account.

2. Complete all pre-work prior (# 's 1-9) prior to your scheduled session. This includes a 2-hour self-paced course. Failure to do so will result in you being unenrolled from the course and unable to attend the Instructor-led session. You will not receive a refund if you are disenrolled due to incomplete pre-work. If you are disenrolled from the course and re-enrolled in a future course, you will need to restart your evaluations and pre-work.

All pre-work is due Friday, July 25th at 12:00 PM ET.

As a reminder, this class will cancel if the minimum registration requirement is not met.

Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions.