Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
Approximately one in five Americans experience a mental health or addiction disorder each year. Do you know what to do when someone near you has a panic attack or is in crisis?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a training program that teaches participants how to notice and support an individual who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use concern and connect them with appropriate employee and community resources.
MHFA is a skills-based, experiential, and evidence-based practice.
Participants learn a five-step action plan that can be used to help those in need
The five-step action plan, ALGEE, includes:
Assess for risk of suicide or harm
Listen non-judgmentally
Give reassurance and information
Encourage appropriate professional help
Encourage self-help and other support strategies
Why Mental Health Matters in the Workplace
- Approximately 10.8 million full-time workers have a substance use disorder.
- As many as 35 million workdays are lost each year due to mental illness.
- Untreated mental illness in the workplace costs businesses $105 billion each year – mostly due to lost productivity.
Training Formats:
The eight-hour course can be scheduled in two-hour or greater blocks of time and held virtually or in-person to fit your needs.
Virtual
Participants complete a two-hour, self-paced online course, and then participate in a six-hour, instructor-led video conference.
Blended
Participants complete a two-hour, self-paced online course, and then participate in a six-hour, in-person, instructor-led class.
In-person
Participants take an eight-hour in-person, instructor-led course.
MHFA in the Workplace can help
- Reduce stigma
- Increase employees’ mental health and substance use literacy
- Increase likelihood that employees will reach out to someone who may be facing a mental health or substance use challenge
- Teach employees how to connect a distressed person with the appropriate resources, in accordance with company policies
For more information on how MHFA can be customized for your organization, contact: Julie Kiehne, Winona State University Business Outreach Coordinator 507.457.5088 continuingeducation@winona.edu