Mental Health First Aid – Adults Who Interact with Youth

Mental Health First Aid – Adults who interact with youth (MHFA) is a two day workshop that is intended for an adult audience whose primary focus is youth (aged 14-25).  This course includes instruction about substance related disorders, mood related disorders, anxiety and trauma related disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders and deliberate self-injury. Participants who take this course are well prepared to interact confidently about mental health with the young people in their lives, including at schools, extra-curricular activities, social services, family, friends, and communities. In the MHFA course, you will gain a solid understanding of the 5 basic actions of ALGEE:

Assess the risk of suicide and/or harm
Listen non-judgmentally
Give reassurance
Encourage professional support
Encourage other supports

ALGEE is the framework for having a confident conversation about mental health with family, friends, colleagues, and strangers.

The key outcomes from this workshop are:

1. Recognize the symptoms of mental health problems or crises as they develop in youth, including eating disorders and non-suicidal self-injury.
2. Provide initial help when facing a mental health problem or crisis.
3. Guide youth and/or adults who support them toward appropriate professional help.
4. Learn how to accommodate young people who are in distress or are recovering from a crisis.