Notice. Understand. Respond.
Mental Health First Aid is an international skills-based training that teaches participants about mental illness and substance-misuse and how to support someone experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge or crisis. The goal is to make Mental Health First Aid as common as CPR, reducing stigma while emphasizing hope and recovery.
MHFA uses a structured curriculum which begins with the required two-hour asynchronous online interactive ‘pre-work’. Participants must complete the online pre-work prior to the instructor-led training. The instructor-led training is offered in two 4-hour sessions. Once all of the required training components are completed, participants can download their certificate.
Certification lasts for three years, at which point First Aiders may renew their certification on their own (this can be done online, takes about 60 minutes and costs $29, Being Well at Yale does not provide or cover recertification).
This training is open to benefits-eligible Yale University employees. Each course is open to a minimum 15 and maximum of 30 participants. To join an open course held at HR (221 Whitney Ave.), please check Workday Learning or the Being Well at Yale calendar.
For more information or to inquire about scheduling, please contact certified Mental Health First Aid instructor, Danielle Casioppo, at danielle.casioppo@yale.edu.
If a department is interested in learning more about MHFA, a one-hour How to Help: Tips from Mental Health First Aid session can be scheduled by request or register for an upcoming session on the calendar.
What Yale participants are saying about Mental Health First Aid:
- “I am now more confident in talking to those in distress and also realized the importance of self-care.”
- “The training was very interesting and useful, especially for someone like myself with absolutely no other relevant background. I’m very happy I attended and it was time well spent.”
- “I’m so glad to be a Mental Health First Aider and hope I can help others in the future.”
- “I was able to use my MHFA knowledge to help a friend in crisis and get him into a rehabilitation program.”
For courses open to the public, please refer to the MHFA webiste.