Mental Health in the News

Mental Health First Aid  

Mental Health First Aid teaches community members to help friends and family by learning to recognize and respond helpfully to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

Mental Health First Aid is taught as an interactive 12-hour course.  It presents an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the U.S. and introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments.

Those who take the 12-hour course to certify as Mental Health First Aiders learn a 5-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to help an individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care

The 12-hour Mental Health First Aid USA course has benefited a variety of audiences and key professions, including: primary care professionals, employers and business leaders, faith communities, school personnel and educators, state police and corrections officers, nursing home staff, mental health authorities, state policymakers, volunteers, young people, families and the general public.

Explore the Mental Health First Aid web site to learn more or to find a Mental Health First Aid course near you.

Mental Health First Aid USA is a project of three national authorities — the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health.