About Us

Did you know that you are more likely to encounter someone having a mental health crisis than someone having a heart attack? The fact is mental health problems are common. Nationally, 1 in 5 people live with a mental illness. Unfortunately, due to the stigma surrounding mental illness, many people are unsure of proper way to respond.

Why Mental Health First Aid® ?

Mental Health First Aid® is building safer and more caring communities across Maryland. Just as CPR trains people to help someone in a physical crisis, Mental Health First Aid® teaches people how to recognize and respond to a person experiencing a mental health or substance use concern or crisis and to connect them to appropriate care.

We’ve been offering Mental Health First Aid® from its inception.

The Mental Health Association of Maryland and the Maryland Department of Behavioral Health have been part of Mental Health First Aid USA since the program’s inception. We partnered with the National Council for Behavioral Health and the Missouri Department of Health to found this national certification program. Now, over 90,000 Mental Health First Aiders and over 1,000 Mental Health First Aid Instructors have been trained across the state of Maryland. Imagine the impact!

Evidence shows that Mental Health First Aid® results in:

• Increased knowledge of the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of mental illness and substance use disorders
• The ability to identify multiple types of professional and self-help resources for individuals with a mental illness or substance use disorder
• Increased confidence in one’s ability to assist an individual in distress
• Decreased stigma surrounding mental illness and substance use disorders

Who should take Mental Health First Aid®?

Mental Health First Aid® is for everyone, from public school teachers and volunteer scout leaders to police officers and community members. Anyone who want to be ready to respond with competence and care to a mental health or substance use concern or crisis should take the class.

The following Maryland agencies have adopted Mental Health First Aid®:

• Core Service and Social Service Agencies 
• Detention and Correctional Facilities 
• Private Sector and Corporations 
• Maryland State Department of Education and Local School Districts 
• Department of Juvenile Services 
• Maryland’s HBCUs, Community Colleges, University of Maryland System, and Many Other Educational Institutions Across the State 
• Faith Communities 
• Local Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Departments 
• Community Behavioral Health Agencies 
• Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Social Workers, and Therapists  

Go here to read our Frequently Asked Questions

 

MHFA Course Overview

Mental Health First Aid® is for everyone. People whose occupations have a high level of daily interaction with the public, such as first responders, nurses, teachers, and police officers, have found the course very valuable professionally. In addition, people who have taken Mental Health First Aid have found the course to be relevant and useful in their personal lives.

Mental Health First Aid^® is a public education national certification course. Participants learn to recognize and respond to the signs and symptoms of an emerging mental health problem or crisis, to identify community resources, and to link individuals in need of support to appropriate care. This skills-based course includes a 5­-step action plan which can be used in various types of crisis and non-crisis situations.

The 5 Step Action Plan, ALGEE, includes:

Assess for risk of suicide or harm

Listen non-judgmentally

Give reassurance and information

Encourage appropriate professional help

Encourage self-help and other support strategies

Adult Mental Health First Aid:

Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) builds skills to help adults age 18 and older who may be experiencing a mental health problem or crisis and to connect those adults to care, as appropriate. The core program is available in both English and Spanish.

Population-specific modules are available:

• Older Adults: For older adults and/or caregivers 
• Veterans, Active Duty, and their Families 
• Higher Education: For staff, faculty, and students. 
• Public Safety or Corrections Professionals: This module is designed for those who work in fields such as law enforcement, corrections, and public safety.  
• Fire/EMS: This module focuses on the unique experiences and needs of firefighters, EMS, and dispatch personnel. 
• Rural Communities 

Youth Mental Health First Aid Course:

The Youth Mental Health First Aid course is designed for adults who work with youth, ages 10-18, including parents! The youth program teaches signs and symptoms of emerging mental health problems and how to differentiate potential problems from typical adolescent development. The course is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Khmer, and Korean. 

The training can be delivered in-person (7-hours), or in a blended format with 2-hours of self-paced prework and 5-hours of instructor-led session (in-person or virtual). 

Population-specific modules are available: 

• Youth MHFA for Tribal Communities and Indigenous Peoples 

Instructor Training Course:

Bring Mental Health First Aid to your organization or community and become a certified instructor. The three-day instructor training uses the train-the-trainer model and fully prepares you to teach either the MHFA or YMHFA course.  

Program Details: 

• Individual Instructor Cost: $1,800 
• Private Instructor Training (up to 16 candidates): $24,000 

Instructor training is conducted virtually or in-person over the course of three full days (9:00 am – 5:00 pm). There is a prework component that needs to be completed in advance of the training, and candidates must successfully pass a graded teachback presentation to be certified. Certification is not guaranteed, about 10% of all candidates receive a “Provisional” certification status.  

Learn more about our instructor training here. 

Please read our FAQs if you have additional questions. To see our latest training offerings, check out our course calendar. 

About CEUs

CPD (MSDE): Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid taught by MHAMD qualify for 1.0 CPD Credit through the Maryland State Department of Education. Please let your coordinator know if you are seeking this credit.  

Lauryn’s Law: MHFA and YMHFA satisfy Lauryn’s Law requirements. 

NASW: As of July 1, 2022 Category I Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are NOT available for youth and adult instructor trainings 

All participants will receive an agenda, learning objectives, and certificate of attendance. We would be happy to provide supporting documentation if anyone would like to submit independently to their governing bodies. Please note that we cannot guarantee any determination made licensing agencies. 

If you are interested in obtaining CEUs for attendance at training, please contact MHFA MD at mhfatraining@mhamd.org  prior to training.