Mental Health First Aid Training

Build community resiliency through Mental Health First Aid (MHFA).

Overview

LPHI is committed to supporting Louisiana during difficult times by providing tools and trainings to build community resiliency. One important component of resiliency is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). Often, someone who is experiencing a mental health or substance use problem does not know how to access care. By training members of the community in MHFA, we are building a community-based support network that has learned how to identify, understand, and respond to someone expressing signs of addiction, mental illness, or mental health crisis. These trainees become the first line of support in the community.

Our certified instructors offer MHFA skills-based training to across the state to advance behavioral health, community resilience, and disaster preparedness.  Participants will be taught how to help identify and refer someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis through a culturally responsive lens. When cultural respect and understanding are lacking in health care, disparities arise. Each MHFA course offers a module on Cultural Considerations, which prepares instructors to consider how culture may impact mental health and substance use challenges, to build skills to improve cultural awareness, and to use culturally relevant communication strategies during the training.

Though not a replacement for a robust, highly skilled behavioral health workforce, MHFA is a nationally recognized best practice program that trains medical and non-medical individuals in how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. This program, guided by the National Council for Behavioral Health, has been adopted in states and communities across the US, and focuses on skills building for local community groups or sectors, including coalition members, school personnel, workforce programs, church members, and others.

Funding for the training of the LPHI team was provided by the Louisiana Hurricane Response Hub.

Services

Training highlights

  • Optimal class size of 25 participants (minimum of 10)
  • Virtual, in-person, or blended Mental Health First Aid training courses by paired instructors
  • Mental Health First Aid provides participants with the tools they need to:
    • to assess a mental health crisis
    • select interventions and provide initial help
    • connect persons to professional, peer, and social supports as well as self-help resources
  • Individuals who complete the training will receive a Mental Health First Aider certification (CEUs are also possible for this training)

Resources

For more information, visit the Mental Health First Aid website. If you are interested in having the LPHI team facilitate a Mental Health First Aid Training for your organization or community group, please contact LPHItraining@lphi.org.

Instructors

For more information please email:
LPHItraining@lphi.org.