Mental Health First Aid Training (Self-Paced Course)

Mental Health First Aid is an early intervention tool for mental health support.

The MHFA Action Plan:

Mental Health First Aiders…

First Aiders do not diagnose.
First Aiders do not treat.
First Aiders serve as a vital link between a person experiencing a challenge and appropriate professional support.

Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual:

A mental health challenge is when:

There is a major change in a person’s thinking, feeling, or acting.
The change interferes with the person’s ability to live their life.
The interference does not go away quickly and lasts longer than typical emotions or reactions would be expected to.

Mental Disorder is a diagnosable disorder that:

Affects a person’s thinking, emotional state, and behavior
Disrupts the person’s ability to: work, carry out daily activities, and engage in satisfying relationships

Patterns of using alcohol or another substance that results in impairment in daily life or noticeable distress.

Repeated use of and dependence on the substance will lead to a pattern of compulsive use, drug tolerance and, if discontinued, withdrawal symptoms.

Approximately 1 in 5 American adults are diagnosed with a mental disorder in a single year.
Almost half of all American adults will experience a mental health challenge at some point over the course of their lifetime.
19.1% of American adults with any mental disorder in the past year
4.6% of American adults with severe mental disorder in the past year

Anxiety is a feeling of worry caused by perceived threats in the environment.
Bipolar disorder i s an illness characterized by extreme swings in mood, energy, and activity level.
Eating disorders are serious illnesses tied to irregular eating habits, severe stress, or concerns about body image, and characterized by too much or too little food intake.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disorder that can occur after a person has experienced a traumatic event
Psychosis is a condition in which a person has lost some contact with reality.
Substance disorder is a “pattern of using alcohol or other substance that results in impairment in daily life or noticable distress” (APA, 2013)

Early signs: an emerging pattern of showing up late for or cancelling personal and professional commitments.
Worsening signs: withdrawing from family and friends, absenteeism or “presenteeism,” odd or erratic behavior.
Crisis signs: threatening to hurt or kill themselves or others, acting recklessly or engaging in risky behavior, drug or alcohol misuse.

Early signs: Tired looking, disheveled clothing, appearing more unkempt than usual for the individual.
Worsening signs:declining personal hygiene, highly agitated, withdrawal from others.
Crisis signs: excessive vomiting, difficulty breathing, overdosing on drugs or alcohol.

Early symptoms: no longer enjoying work, activities, or hobbies, sadness, worry.
Worsening symptoms: increasing sadness, increasing worry, hopelessness, rage, despair.
Crisis symptoms: dramatic changes in mood, feeling trapped, like there is no way out.

Early symptoms: difficulty concentrating or focusing at home, school, or work; indecisiveness.
Worsening symptoms: increasing self- blame or self-criticism, distorted body image, racing thoughts or mind going blank.
Crisis symptoms: thoughts of self-harm, hopelessness, delusional thinking, hallucinations.