Youth Mental Health First Aid

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is an early intervention, public education program. It teaches adults who work with youth how to recognize signs and symptoms that suggest a potential mental health or substance use challenge, listen nonjudgmentally, provide reassurance, and refer a young person to appropriate professional support and services.

The 4.5–hour Youth Mental Health First Aid Course focuses on recognizing the patterns of thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and appearance that indicate the possibility of a mental health challenge rather than focusing on specific illnesses. Learners are taught the MHFA action plan (ALGEE), which they can apply to noncrisis and crisis scenarios. 2 hours of self-paced online pre-work is required to be completed before the first day of the course. You will be contacted by the instructor with step-by-step directions on how to access and complete your pre-work.

By the end of this course, learners will:

• Describe the purpose of Youth Mental Health First Aid and the role of the Mental Health First Aider.
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges that may impact youth.
• Explain the impact of traumatic experiences and the role of resilience on adolescent development.
• Apply the appropriate steps of the Mental Health First Aid Action Plan (ALGEE) to noncrisis and crisis scenarios.
• Practice appropriate methods for self-care following the application of Youth Mental Health First Aid in a noncrisis or crisis situation.