Mental Health First Aid Training
Evidence-based instructor-led certification that equips your team to recognize, understand, and respond to mental health and substance-use challenges with confidence and compassion.
What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a nationally recognized, evidence-based training program created by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. It teaches people how to recognize early signs of serious mental health concerns, including psychosis, mania, severe depression, trauma responses, and substance-use crises.
Approach the individual safely using strategies that reduce fear and confusion.
Respond without escalating symptoms, such as hallucinations, delusions, panic, or severe emotional distress.
Offer reassurance that the person is not alone and help is available.
Encourage appropriate treatment, including emergency care, psychiatric evaluation, outpatient treatment, or crisis stabilization services.
Promote dignity, respect, and autonomy, even in moments of distress or impaired decision-making.
Provide support and monitoring until specialized help is connected.
Increase community safety by empowering everyday adults to intervene early and appropriately.
What You Will Walk Away With: A Clear Understanding and Practical Skills
Early Recognition
MHFA teaches employees how to notice early warning signs of stress, burnout, anxiety, and crisis before they escalate.
Early awareness prevents emergencies and keeps people safe and supported.
By the end of the training, participants feel more prepared, more confident, and more capable of helping someone through a challenging moment — whether that moment happens at school, at work, at home, or in the community.
Improve Culture & Performance
Organizations trained in MHFA see better morale, improved retention, fewer crises, and stronger teamwork. Investing in mental-health training is proven to reduce costs and increase productivity.
Confident Response
Employees learn step-by-step skills to start supportive conversations, reduce stigma, and connect someone to the right help.
This creates a culture of trust, empathy, and psychological safety.
Training Format and Delivery Methods
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Training Format & Delivery
Strong Culture offers flexible Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training options to fit the needs of your school, workplace, or organization.
Format Options:
Blended training includes a self-paced online learning module followed by a live instructor-led session.
In-person training is delivered as a single, interactive full-day experience.
Virtual training is offered live through Zoom with discussion, activities, and opportunities for real-time engagement.Length and Group Size
The total training time is typically six to eight hours.
Group sizes range from 10 to 30 participants per session, in line with national MHFA standards.
Certification
All participants who complete the full training receive a nationally recognized Mental Health First Aid certification that is valid for three years.
Customization
All scenarios, examples, and discussions are tailored to the needs of your team—whether you serve schools, workplaces, state agencies, nonprofits, youth programs, or family-serving environments.
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Who This Training Is Designed For
School staff including teachers, counselors, administrators, coaches, and student support teams.
Workplace teams and HR departments who want to strengthen psychological safety and employee well-being.
State agencies and government staff who serve the public or work in high-stress, high-impact roles.
Youth-serving professionals such as mentors, after-school staff, recreation leaders, and community educators.
Nonprofit organizations supporting mental health, housing, youth development, or crisis response.
Foster parents, kinship caregivers, social workers, and child-welfare staff who support families navigating complex needs.
Healthcare and frontline professionals who interact with individuals experiencing stress, trauma, or mental health challenges.
Any individual or team looking to build stronger communication, compassion, and confidence when supporting others.
“Mental Health First Aid is a culture-builder. It gives teams a shared language, shared expectations, and shared confidence so mental health stops being scary and starts being something we can talk about openly.” - Erin Wentworth
Laura is an incredibly dedicated, hard working and devoted woman whom applies herself and is driven to use her knowledge and skills to invoke courage, educate and effectively change individuals. She has a proven track record to inspire others through her hard work, dedication and personal history lending itself towards changing the stigma around mental health bringing honest, healthy conversations that result in changes supporting individuals, families, employers and employees.- Jen Walz
“I was introduced to Laura through a Mental Health First Aid virtual course offered at my workplace. Meeting regularly, we explored a variety of mental health topics, many of them difficult to talk about. Despite the virtual format, Laura created an environment where my group of diverse professionals could openly engage with her and with each other. This gave us space to reflect on situations we might encounter now or in the future.
For me, it was important to understand these challenges so I could better support others as well as myself. Mental health still carries stigma, and as a professional male in the workplace, I hadn’t found many resources or support in this area. With Laura’s guidance both during and after the course, I’ve become better equipped to navigate life’s challenges, not only for myself but also for my family and the staff I manage.
Everyone faces different struggles, but the feeling of being alone is universal. Thanks to Laura, I’m in a much better place now than I was before.” - Ron Motto
Why Train With Strong Culture
Better retention: Employees stay longer when they feel supported.
Higher productivity: Mentally healthy teams perform better and miss fewer days.
Lower costs: Burnout, absenteeism, and turnover are expensive; prevention saves money.
Meeting employee expectations: Workers—especially younger generations—want employers who take mental health seriously.
Stronger culture: Addressing mental health builds trust, safety, and engagement.
Mental Health First Aid Training FAQ
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What is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)?
Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based training program that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges. It’s like CPR—but for mental health.
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Who is the training designed for?
MHFA is designed for anyone—no clinical background needed. It’s especially valuable for HR professionals, managers, supervisors, and team leads who want to foster a mentally healthy work environment.
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How long is the training, and what is the format?
The training includes 2 hours of self-paced pre-work and 6-7 hours of live instruction, delivered virtually or in person. Participants receive a national certification valid for three years
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What are the benefits for my organization?
MHFA can help reduce stigma, improve employee well-being, lower absenteeism, and increase team trust and resilience. It also supports a culture of psychological safety and early intervention.
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How much does the training cost?
Pricing varies based on group size, delivery format, and customization needs. We’re happy to provide a quote and help you explore funding options like wellness budgets or training grants.
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How many people can attend a single session?
MHFA sessions require a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 30 participants per instructor to ensure engagement and quality.