Mental Health First Aid

Course Description

Continuing Education Hours: 5

This course is geared to the non-behavioral health practitioner, paraprofessionals, graduate students and interested and concerned family, friends, and neighbors who oftentimes are the first to witness the signs of distress that may indicate a need for professional intervention.

Mental Health First Aid has been described as a “blueprint for providing comfort, promoting recovery, and helping to reduce distress related to stressful situations, trauma, and crisis.” (p. v Mental Health First Aid USA 1999).

Participants of this course will review the prevalence of Mental Health issues in the USA; make distinctions between distress and disorders, discuss and define Mental Health Action Plans, and their use when presented with individuals with depressive symptoms, self-injurious behavior and/or suicidal behavior, anxiety, panic and trauma. Further, the application of Mental Health First Aid techniques when faced with acute psychosis with/without disruptive and potentially aggressive behaviors.

Learning Objectives

  • Participants will be able to list the 5 components of the Mental Health First Aid action plan.
  • Participants will be able to name the 5 mental health disorders most prevalent in the USA.
  • Participants will be able to identify signs of anxiety, panic, depression and psychosis.
  • Participants will be able to distinguish between emotional distress and a mental health disorder.
  • Participants will be able to identify the warning signs of suicide and the appropriate Mental Health Action Plan.

Learn More About this Course HERE

Arizona Trauma Institute
49 South Sycamore Street, Suite 2
Mesa, Arizona 85202

Office: (480) 442-1840

Email: help@aztrauma.org