MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an 8-hour training that provides people the basic tools to help someone showing signs of mental illness or substance use disorder or experiencing a mental health crisis. MHFA can save a life, just like CPR can save someone who can’t breathe or is having a heart attack. We offer trainings customized for specific areas of interest. Click here to see the variety of trainings offered.
To date, over 1 million people across the country have been trained in MHFA. Integral Care began offering MHFA to the community in 2006. We have trained over 10,000 people in Central Texas, including Capitol staffers, representatives from the City of Austin, Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services, University of Texas, Austin Community College, Huston-Tillotson University, Front Steps, Goodwill Industries of Texas, AIDS Service of Austin, Mobile Loaves and Fishes and many more.
Mental illness is common. Approximately 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness and 50% of mental health issues can be identified by age 14.
Anyone! MHFA gives people the tools they need to help friends, family, colleagues and community members. It answers key questions like “What do I do?” and “Where can someone find help?”
- Warning signs, symptoms and risk factors of mental illness
- Information on depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, suicide and substance use disorder
- A 5-step action plan to help someone showing signs of mental illness or someone potentially in crisis
- Professional and self-help resources
There are multiple types of MHFA trainings.
- Adult MHFA, offered in English and Spanish, is for anyone who wants to learn how to help someone showing signs of mental illness and/or substance use disorder or experiencing a mental health crisis.
- Youth MHFA is for anyone who works with youth and young adults ages 12-18 and 18-25 who may be in the early stages of a mental health problem, substance use disorder or crisis. Instructors review the risk factors and warning signs for this age group. The training emphasizes the importance of early intervention.
- Veterans, Military Members and Their Families MHFA is customized for family members and anyone who works with veterans, service members and their families. This training focuses on the unique experiences and needs of this population.
- Public Safety MHFA is customized for police, first responders, corrections officers, and other public safety audiences. The training provides officers with more response options to help them deescalate incidents and better understand mental health related calls.
- Higher Education MHFA is customized for anyone in a college or university setting. Instructors train students, faculty and others to recognize the signs of emerging mental illnesses and/or substance use disorder or to assist young adults in a mental health crisis. The training emphasizes the importance of early intervention.
- Older Adult MHFA is customized for anyone who works with those dealing with later-life issues. This training focuses on the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adults ages 65 and over.
Military service has a profound impact on the people involved – the service member and their family members. Many experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression and substance use issues. Yet less than half receive any mental health care. Sadly, twenty veterans die by suicide every day in our country. You can make a difference in their lives. This free training focuses on military culture and the specific risk factors faced by service members and their families. You learn a 5-step action plan to help someone showing signs of mental illness, substance use disorder or crisis. Click below to register.
Upon completion of this training, you may register for additional free trainings.
- Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) – Learn the right questions to ask to identify people of all ages at risk suicide.
- Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) – Reducing access to lethal means, such as firearms, can save the life of someone at risk of suicide. Learn how to work with veterans, service members and their families on reducing access to lethal means.
- Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) – Learn how to develop an effective safety plan with veterans, military members, their families and/or caregivers.
For any questions, please contact mhfa.vet@integralcare.org.
MHFA is a great addition to a wellness program. It can provide managers and employees the tools they need to support each other and identify the signs of a mental health crisis. Just like you support your employees with physical wellness programs, mental health programs are just as important.
We are happy to provide MHFA trainings onsite at your business at no cost. To learn more, please contact mhfa@integralcare.org or (512) 804-3260.
Click below to register for Adult and Youth MHFA. Trainings are available weekly. Thanks to a grant from St. David’s Foundation, no one will be turned away. However, a donation of $10 is welcome.
Click below to register for a free Veterans, Military Members, & Their Families MHFA training.
To register for Public Safety MHFA, Higher Education MHFA or Older Adult MHFA please contact April Oviedo at MHFA@IntegralCare.Org.
The State of Texas HHSC MHFA grant allows us to offer free MHFA trainings to educators, faculty and staff (K – 12th grades and institutes of higher education).
To register or learn more, please contact mhfa@IntegralCare.org.
- What is the minimum and maximum number of participants for a training?
- Our minimum is 20 participants and our maximum is 30 participants.
- May I host an MHFA training for a group of individuals?
- To host a training, please adhere to the minimum and maximum number of participants. We will ask if you have a projector and speakers. If not, we will provide those items. For more questions or to schedule an MHFA training, please contact mhfa@integralcare.org.
- I would like to organize an MHFA training for a group, but do not have a location. Can you provide the space for the training?
- Please contact mhfa@integralcare.org.
- How much does the training cost?
- A $10 donation is suggested. Training is free if you are a first responder, veteran, military member, military family, or provider of services to veterans/military.
- Do I have to stay the entire time?
- In order to receive credit for MHFA training, you must attend the entire training. We document attendance through a sign-in sheet, so please make sure you sign-in.
For more information, if you’d like to host an MHFA training or to request special accommodations, please feel free to contact mhfa@integralcare.org.
Testimonials
St. David’s Foundation has graciously awarded Integral Care a Healthy Minds Grant to expand our general MHFA program for both Adults and Youth. Their generosity allows us to provide even more Travis County residents the tools they need to support someone having a mental health crisis or showing signs of mental illness. Integral Care is also partnering with Bluebonnet Trails Community Services to increase access to this potentially life-saving training in the Williamson County area.
Important COVID-19 Update During COVID-19 we are scheduling 2 types of trainings for businesses and organizations. The 8-hour in-person training strictly follows CDC sanitation and safety guidelines. There’s also the option of a 6-hour virtual training (2 hours of online, self-paced pre-work and 4 hours of an instructor led, interactive training via Zoom). To schedule a training for your group, please email mhfa@integralcare.org.