According to their website, Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. In the course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies to help someone in both crisis and noncrisis situations, and where to turn for help.

When you take a course, you learn how to apply the Mental Health First Aid action plan in a variety of situations, including when someone is experiencing:
Panic attacks
Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
Nonsuicidal self-injury
Acute psychosis (e.g., hallucinations or delusions)
Overdose or withdrawal from alcohol or drug use
Reaction to a traumatic event

Most of us would know how to help if we saw someone having a heart attack — we’d start CPR or call 911. But too few of us would know how to respond if we see someone have a panic attack or if we are concerned that a friend or coworker is showing signs of alcohol use disorder. Mental Health First Aid takes the fear and hesitation out of starting these conversations by improving understanding and providing an action plan that teaches people to safely and responsibly identify and address a potential mental health or substance use challenge. The opportunity to practice — through role plays, scenarios, and activities — makes it easier to apply these skills in a real-life situation.