The adult Mental Health First Aid course is appropriate for anyone 18 years and older who wants to learn how to help a person who may be experiencing a mental health related crisis or problem. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addictions.
The adult course is available in both English and Spanish. Course participants come from a variety of backgrounds and play various roles in a community.
Instructors may specialize in providing the course to groups such as:
Check for these icons on instructor profiles to know who has these specialties.
Nearly twenty percent of people in the United States live in a rural area. The challenges faced by residents in rural areas are significantly different than those in urban areas. Rural populations are often underserved and possess health and behavioral health disparities. Rural communities have a chronic shortage of behavioral health providers and limited access to services.
Mental Health First Aid has the potential to address these disparities in rural communities by increasing mental health literacy (i.e., knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders which aid their recognition, management, or prevention) among key community members – creating a stronger, more prepared network of support for individuals living in rural areas.
Rural Mental Health First Aid is a way to build community level capacity to identify mental health and substance use issues early and for rural residents to increase their confidence to intervene and refer people to the resources that do exist. Rural communities have a long history of being innovative and taking responsibility. Mental Health First Aid is a way to increase the level of baseline knowledge about mental health and substance use issues and to decrease the negative perceptions often associated with these issues.
Our targeted effort to serve rural communities addresses their unique characteristics, recognizes the community of rural Mental Health First Aid instructors, and enhances community capacity around behavioral health issues in rural areas.
How Can I Get my Community Involved?
Communities interested in learning about bringing the 8-hour training course to their area should review our rural Quick Start Guide on how to get started.