Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)

What is the program/practice? 

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training introduces participants to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use concerns, builds understanding of their impact, and gives an overview of common treatments and resources. When more people are equipped with the tools they need to start a dialogue, more people can get connected to the help they need. Mental Health First Aiders are a vital link between someone experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge and appropriate supports. 

Who is the program/practice for? 

• Youth MHFA – for participants 18 and older. This course teaches adults how to recognize and support children and youth who experience a mental health or substance use issue. 
• Adult MHFA – for participants 18 and older. This course teaches adults how to recognize and support other adults who experience a mental health or substance use issue. 
• Teen MHFA – This course teaches 10th, 11th, and 12th grade participants how to recognize and support other teens who experience a mental health or substance use issue. 

What outcomes does the program/practice produce? 

• Improve identification of the warnings signs for mental health issues and substance abuse  
• Increase ability to respond to others who have mental illness or substance use disorder 
• Increase confidence and likelihood to help an individual in distress 
• Reduce stigma related to mental health

What is the evidence or research that supports the program/practice? 

Haggerty, D., Carlson, J. S., McNall, M., Lee, K., & Williams, S. (2019). Exploring Youth Mental Health First Aider Training Outcomes by Workforce Affiliation: A Survey of Project AWARE Participants. School Mental Health, 11(2), 345–356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-018-9300-5 

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) among those apart of the mental health workforce and those not apart of the mental health workforce. The results of a pretest before training and a posttest 3 months following training were used to determine improvements in mental health literacy, mental health stigma, and confidence in helping behavior among participants. The results showed that improvements in literacy, stigma, and confidence was higher for those not in the mental health workforce. This shows that while MHFA improved the abilities of both groups. It is significantly more effect among those who are not a part of the mental health workforce.  

Jorm, A. F., Kitchener, B. A., Sawyer, M. G., Scales, H., & Cvetkovski, S. (2010). Mental health first aid training for high school teachers: A cluster randomized trial. BMC Psychiatry, 10(1), 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-10-51 

In this study, a randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of MHFA on the knowledge, attitudes, and confidence of high school teachers to help others with mental health or substance use disorders. The treatment group consisted of teachers who received Youth MHFA and the control group consisted of teachers placed on a waitlist to receive the training. After taking pre-post surveys, the results showed that teachers who took the training saw their knowledge increase more than those that did not. Additionally, teachers who took the two day training saw a greater increase in their knowledge than those who took the shorter training. Finally, teachers trained in MHFA had less stigma around mental health issues and also felt more confident to act if they recognized a student with issues than those teachers not trained.  

How is the practice implemented? 

MHFA can be provided fully in-person, in a blended format, or in a virtual format.  

• In-person: Participants attend the course with two instructors live and in-person.  
• Youth: approximately 6.5 hours 
• Adult: approximately 8 hours 
• Teen: Lessons are conducted in-person in six 45-minute sessions or three 90-minute sessions. 
• Blended: Participants complete a two-hour self-paced course online, then attend the second portion of the course with two instructors in-person. 
• Youth: Instructor-led portion is approximately 4 – 4.5 hours 
• Adult: Instructor-led portion is approximately 5.5 – 6 hours 
• Teen: Teens complete a self-paced online lesson, then participate in six live, instructor-led sessions. 
• Virtual: Participants complete a two-hour self-paced course online, then attend the second portion of the course with two instructors via video conferencing software. 
• Youth: Instructor led portion is approximately 4.5 hours 
• Adult: Instructor led portion is approximately 6 hours 
• Teen: Teens complete a self-paced online lesson, then participate in six instructor-led sessions via video conferencing software. 

Who can implement the practice? 

Any adult and youth from 10th grade and above can become trained in MHFA. 

To provide youth and adult MHFA trainings, instructors must attend a three-day instructor course held by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Certified instructors must teach three courses a year to maintain their certification.  

For teen MHFA, organizations apply to implement the program at either a school or youth-serving organization. Instructors from the applying organizations attend a teen MHFA instructor training hosted by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. To maintain certification, instructors must teach one entire grade level or one group from a youth-serving organization every year. 

What are the costs and commitments associated with becoming trained in this practice? 

Public school employees and employees of public and private higher education institutions may receive MHFA training for free through their Local Mental Health Authority (LMHA) or Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA). 

What resources are useful for understanding or implementing the practice? 

• Find a course and more information on MHFA here: https://www.hhs.texas.gov/about/process-improvement/improving-services-texans/behavioral-health-services/mental-health-first-aid 
• See more peer reviewed MHFA studies here: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/22.08.11_MHFA-Research-Summary.pdf 
• See Mental Health First Aid in Statute: Texas Health and Safety Code §1001.201 

Any training or interventions from this repository should be used in accordance with established staff development standards and adopted professional development policies of the Local Education Agency (LEA) per §21.451 and §21.4515 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) and the LEA’s suicide prevention policies and procedures pursuant to §38.351. While this training satisfies the statutory training requirements of §21.451(d)(3)(A), §21.451 (d-1)(1), §21.451 (d-2) and §38.351, it is best practice for staff to receive ongoing training which may include job embedded professional development, coaching opportunities and annual training. 

Rating: Research-Informed 

Secondary components: Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports; Positive Youth Development; Positive, Safe, and Supportive School Climates; Substance Use Prevention and Intervention