Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training

Adult MHFA is specifically designed for adults assisting other adults and is a great supplemental training for public service personnel, human resources, behavioral health, coaches, other direct service-related positions, and anyone interested in expanding mental health education to the greater Maryland community.

This international public awareness curriculum works to destigmatize conversations around mental health while providing a tangible action plan for adults to address crisis and non-crisis mental health situations – much like CPR and First Aid supports physical health situations. MHFA is proven to increase the likelihood of bystander ‘helping’ behaviors, but also increases the learners own mental health literacy. Win-win!

Instructor training is a train-the-trainer model, teaching candidates how to deliver a Mental Health First Aid class in their own community or workplace. By becoming a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, you will be qualified to teach this curriculum anywhere in the country. Instructors are being trained to conduct classes independently throughout their communities.

The training teaches you how to:

• Teach the Mental Health First Aid course, including the 5-step ALGEE Action Plan, evidence-supported treatment and self-help strategies and prevalence data.
• Apply the MHFA Instructional Guiding Principles.
• Utilize MHFA technology, Explain MHFA curriculum concepts.
• Facilitate MHFA curriculum to fidelity.
• Explain MHFA Instructor policies and processes.

Instructor Training

• Courses run from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day.
• Participants will complete approximately 2-3 hours of self-paced pre-work before the first day of in-person or virtual training.
• Each Instructor candidate must attend the entire training and teach an assigned portion of the 8-hour course to the group.
• Each Instructor candidate will provide a peer review for their colleagues.
• National Trainers will conduct an individual evaluation of and provide feedback to each candidate.
• Participants will complete approximately 1 hour of post-work after the 3-day in-person or virtual training. Only after all post-work has been completed will the candidate receive full instructor certification and a certificate. Certified Instructors can teach both Blended and In-person MHFA courses.
• Before you teach your first class, expect to spend up to 40 hours over 90 days in additional self-paced, independent study where you will learn the content, learn the systems (MHFA Connect, Submit-a-Course, MHFA Connect Storefront) and practice your new skills!

Certification is not guaranteed for all participants. To become certified, participants must complete all online course work, be present for the entire training, satisfactorily deliver the presentation and pass an exam.

 

Please note…

1. Expect to set aside 20-30 minutes to complete the instructor application.
2. It is REQUIRED that a candidate attends the corresponding Youth or Adult Mental Health First Aid class prior to completing instructor training. This class must have taken place in the past 3 years. Candidates are not required to complete this class through MHAMD, and can be scheduled to attend the class while registering for the instructor training.
3. If candidates miss more than 60 minutes of instruction, they cannot be certified. This includes having more than 60 minutes of the camera being off, more than 60 minutes of attendance via telephone or absence, etc.
4. To maintain certification all instructors are required to conduct at least 3 classes per year, in alignment with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing standards of fidelity.