Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

Spread the movement in your community.

Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders in your community.

Take A Course: Let’s make Mental Health First Aid as common as CPR.

Get Trained: Instructors are the backbone of the movement.

Make A Difference: Because we can all be more aware and informed.

A groundbreaking public education program that helps the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
An 8-hour training course designed to give members of the public key skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it does build mental health literacy, helping the public identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness. Class size is a minimum of 5 and maximum of 25 per training.

Mental illness is common. One in five adults experiences mental illness in a given year. Mental Health First Aid gives participants the tools they need to help friends, family, colleagues and community members who are experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental Health First Aid can save a life, just like CPR can save someone who can’t breathe or is having a heart attack.

Adult Mental Health First Aid is for anyone who wants to learn how to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis or showing early signs and symptoms. Provided free of charge to educators working at Colleges and Universities.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is for anyone who works with youth. Instructors review the unique risk factors and warning signs for this age group. Instruction emphasizes the importance of early intervention and covers how adults can help youth experiencing a mental health issue or crisis. Provided free of charge to educators working K12. This also includes all staff of any school districts or higher learning environments (i.e. to include Nurses, Counselors, Janitorial Service, Cafeteria staff, Custodial, Maintenance staff, etc.).

Knowledge of the potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems, including: depression, anxiety/trauma, psychosis and psychotic disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and self-injury.
A five-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to assess the situation, to select and implement appropriate interventions, and to help the individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional care.
An understanding of the prevalence of various mental health disorders in the U.S. and the need for reduced stigma in their communities.
Working knowledge of the appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help resources available to help someone with a mental health problem treat and manage the problem and achieve recovery.
Skills and knowledge must be recertified every 3 years, much like the CPR requirements of 2 years.

Central Counties Services is proud to offer Mental Health First Aid training. If interested in scheduling training please contact:

James Arnold, Interim Mental Health First Aid Coordinator

phone: (254) 778-7995

Melissa Mitchell, MHFA Outreach Coordinator

About Us

Central Counties serves as the local authority for behavioral health and

intellectual and developmental disabilities in Milam, Bell, Coryell,

Lampasas, and Hamilton Counties.

Vision

A community where all people grow and develop in a healthy and

vigorous way.

Mission

Improving the lives of the people we serve.

Central Counties Services

304 S. 22^nd Street

Temple, Texas 76501