Division of Behavioral Health Services
Mental Health First Aid
The Arizona Department of Health Services' Division of Behavioral Health Services (ADHS/DBHS), the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and Arizona's Regional Behavioral Health Authorities (RBHAs), which include Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA), Magellan of Arizona, Northern Arizona Regional Behavioral Health Authority (NARBHA), and Cenpatico, have partnered to launch a statewide, extensive training campaign in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA).
MHFA is designed to assist persons with a behavioral health need. It is much like CPR or other forms of first aid for physical health conditions in that anyone can learn and apply the concepts soon after going through the short certification training. MHFA will prepare individuals to respond and act in a helpful manner when they are concerned about someone's mental health. This can be someone they know or even a stranger experiencing an emotional crisis. Persons who experience behavioral health challenges benefit from treatment. MHFA is a tool to help those in need get treatment so that they can successfully live, work and play in our community.
Training Available
- Training for Trainers (TOT)
This is a 5-day training for community members from around the state to become instructors in Mental Health First Aid. As part of this initiative, ADHS/DBHS and partners above conducted a total of 3 sessions from which over 80 new people were certified to become instructors of MHFA. These new instructors will be training more than 3000 community members over the course of this year. - Training for Mental Health First Aiders (MHF-Aiders)
This is a 12-hour training for community members. Each 12-hour session holds approximately 25 people. All sessions are open to the general public. The goal is to get thousands of Arizonans trained in the valuable five-step process to assess a situation, select and implement appropriate interventions, and help a person in crisis or who may be developing the signs and symptoms of mental illness. This training is usually free of charge or may have a minimal fee to pay for the training facility. If interested in becoming trained as MHF-Aider, please review the following information:
Photos and Stories from Past MHFA Trainings
April 2011: students going through the MHFA 12-hr certification training in Phoenix
Training of trainers (TOT) was held the week of March 28, 2011 in Tucson. Twenty three trainers became certified as mental health first aid instructors by the end of this 5-day training and after successfully completing all the coursework assignments, a comprehensive oral presentation of their learning and a final evaluation. Congratulations new MHFA Trainers and thank you for your dedication!
March 2011: students preparing to become MHFA Trainers