Mental Health First Aid Training

Mental Health First Aid is a skills-based training course that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to mental health and substance-use issues. Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. Topics covered include depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use.

 (MHFA) is an evidence-based training created by the designed to provide participants with the skills to identify, destigmatize, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorder, enabling those trained to offer immediate, concrete support.

MHFA has shown to be effective internationally. Peer-reviewed studies show that individuals trained in the program: 

• 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 illness or addiction.
• Increase their confidence in and likelihood to help an individual in distress.
• Show increased mental wellness themselves.

MHFA is not designed to replace the work of mental health professionals. Those who successfully complete the MHFA training will become a certified Mental Health First Aider. Mental Health First Aiders’ professional roles and responsibilities will not change as a result of this training. They are also under no obligation to publicly disclose that they have been trained in MHFA. 

fall 2026 Training Dates AT Â鶹¹ú²ú

We are currently taking sign-ups for Fall 2026 MHFA trainings! Trainings are currently scheduled for the following dates:

• Wednesday&Thursday, November 18-19, 1:00PM - 5:00 PM (In-person, half days) 

• Friday, November 20, 8:00AM – 4:30PM (In-person, all day) 

• Monday, November 23, 8:00AM – 4:30PM (In-person, all day) 

• Wednesday, December 2, 8:00AM – 4:30PM (In-person, all day) 

• Friday, December 4, 8:00AM – 4:30PM (In-person, all day) 

• Friday, December 18, 8:00AM – 4:30PM (In-person, all day) 

To see dates, methods of delivery, and submit interest in scheduled dates, please fill out our form: /herc/machform/view.php?id=125769

Mental Health First Aid Training Interest Form

MHFA ON-LINE/HYBRID Trainings AVAILABLE THROUGH THE ILLINOIS CAMPUS CARES TECHINCAL ASSISTANCE CENTER

The Illinois Campus Cares Technical Assistance Center (ICC TAC) is pleased to announce a series of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings supported by MHEAC Act funding. We will be offering one training each month through the end of FY27 to help campuses strengthen early-intervention efforts and build mental health support capacity.

Three important notes about virtual MHFA training sessions:

• There is a pre-session (approx. 2 hours) component that MUST be completed prior to attending the virtual session facilitated by the instructor(s). Failure to complete this pre-session work will result in a score of incomplete, and attendance will be denied.
• Participants are required to participate and keep their webcam on for the duration of the training. Lack of participation and/or time away from the computer may result in a score of incomplete, at the instructor’s discretion.
• Registration for each training date will end one week before the scheduled session to allow participants to complete their pre-session work and set up their IECHO accounts. Each student will receive a personal invite to IECHO, which is the learning platform used by SIU SOM for the online training.  IECHO is Zoom-based.  A Zoom link will be sent out approximately one hour before the scheduled MHFA session to each registered participant who has completed their pre-session work.
• Â鶹¹ú²ú STAFF AND FACULTY WHO COMPLETE MHFA THROUGH THIS MEANS WILL NEED TO SUBMIT THIER CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION TO ERIC DAVIDSON AT ESDAVIDSON@Â鶹¹ú²ú.EDU

• The November MHFA training will take place on November 3, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. To register for this session, please click the following link:
• The December MHFA training will take place on December 1, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. To register for this session, please click the following link:
• The January MHFA training will take place on January 12, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. To register for this session, please click the following link:
• The February MHFA training will take place on February 2, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. To register for this session, please click the following link:
• The March MHFA training will take place on March 2, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. To register for this session, please click the following link:
• The April MHFA training will take place on April 6, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. To register for this session, please click the following link:
• The May MHFA training will take place on May 4, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. To register for this session, please click the following link:
• The June MHFA training will take place on June 1, from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. To register for this session, please click the following link:

Questions?

Contact eiu-meheac@eiu.edu with any questions!