Frequently Asked Questions:

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an early intervention public education program. It teaches adults how to recognize the signs and symptoms that suggest a potential mental health or substance use challenge, how to listen nonjudgmentally and give reassurance to a person who may be experiencing a mental health challenge, and how to refer out to appropriate professional support and services.

With self-paced virtual pre-work you’ll learn about the prevalence and impact of mental illness, how to recognize early signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, and get introduced to the Mental Health First Aid action plan.  In the instructor-led portion of the training you’ll learn how to implement this action plan and practice the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support for someone who may be struggling. Mental Health First Aid also covers what you can do to help if someone is experiencing a mental health crisis.

Upcoming Training Dates for TWO- DAY Virtual Mental Health First Aid

• June 10th & 11th 9:30AM – 1:00PM (PST)
• July 15th & 16th 9:30AM – 1:00 (PST)
• Aug 12th & 13th 9:30AM – 1:00 (PST)

Mental Health First Aid certification is regularly $170. You can take advantage of early registration pricing of just $99 up to two weeks before a course is scheduled.

Registration includes a resource guide, participant workbook, and Mental Health First Aid manual with 200+ pages of detailed information on how to apply Mental Health First Aid in various scenarios along with information on evidence-based treatment for mental health and substance use challenges.

Everyone who gets certified with The Mindful Fit Pro also gains access to a follow-up group coaching call after your initial training. In this coaching call you’ll review the Mental Health First Aid action plan, explore best-practices from recent research, and learn from other fitness instructors and personal trainers.

If you get certified in Mental Health First Aid with The Mindful Fit Pro, you become connected to a community of other fitness professionals who are passionate about mental health.

By the end of the Mental Health First Aid course, participants will be able to: 

• Identify the impact of mental health challenges on the well-being of adults in the U.S.
• Explain that recovery from a mental health challenge is possible and provide “hope with facts.”
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges that may impact adults.
• Apply the appropriate steps of the Mental Health First Aid Action Plan (ALGEE) when a person shows early or worsening signs of mental health challenges and in crisis situations, including panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, and substance use.
• Choose appropriate methods for self-care following the application of Mental Health First Aid in crisis and non-crisis situations.

Mental Health First Aid is an international education program proven to be effective in teaching adults how to recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

Peer-reviewed studies have been conducted around the world and reveal that individuals trained in the Mental Health First Aid:

• Grow their knowledge of signs, symptoms and risk factors of mental illnesses and addictions.
• Can identify multiple types of professional and self-help resources for individuals with a mental health or substance use challenge.
• Increase their confidence in and likelihood to help an individual in distress.
• Show increased mental wellness themselves.

I offer blended Adult Mental Health First Aid training with an option for virtual or in-person instructor-led training. Both course options consists of 2-hours of self-paced content to be completed online before the instructor-led training. The self-paced content is followed by approximately 6.5 hours of instructor-led training either in-person or virtually via Zoom. The instructor led portion of the course can be offered in one day (add additional time for lunch) or split between two days. More time is allotted for the virtual instructor-led portion to allow for more frequent breaks.

Mental Health First Aid was created in Australia in 2000 by Betty Kitchener, an educator and mental health consumer, and Professor Tony Jorm, a mental health researcher. In 2008, the National Council, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health brought Mental Health First Aid to the United States.

I offer Mental Health First Aid training throughout the year for anyone who is interested in attending the course virtually. You can register independently or as a group by clicking here.

If you’d like to arrange a private course for your studio or gym, please email me at mindfulfitpro@gmail.com. Be sure to ask about group discounts available for private courses with 10+ participants!

Virtual blended Mental Health First Aid courses are limited to 15 participants. Registration for in-person Mental Health First Aid training also includes fees for travel and materials.

Feel free to use the one-page informational flyer below to share information about Mental Health First Aid with your supervisors, studio and gym owners, or fellow fitness professionals on your team.