MHFA
Mental Health First Aid Overview
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a training program conducted through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that enables individuals to identify and appropriately respond to warning signs for mental health challenges or crises and substance use concerns. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing is a 501(c)(3) membership-based association that serves to advocate for policy and social change for mental health and substance use treatment organizations. Three million people in America have currently been trained in MHFA. For more information on MHFA, please visit the National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s website here.
The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) has partnered with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to bring MHFA training to Tennessee. This initiative includes equipping individuals to be MHFA instructors who can then provide MHFA training to their organizations and partners. Public health department staff and various community partners, including first responders (e.g., police officers, fire fighters, emergency medical service personnel), educators, and healthcare workers are currently included in the TDH training initiative. While MHFA training is beneficial for everyone, we're unable to offer training to the general public at this time. Individuals who are interested in becoming certified in MHFA may search for nearby courses on the National Council for Mental Wellbeing's website here.
Map of Instructors by County
If you are a community partner interested in participating in an MHFA course, please contact MHFA.Training@tn.gov.
This map is refreshed weekly, every Monday.
MHFA Instructor Resource Links
MHFA Instructor FAQs
A: Log into MHFA Connect, and go to the “Resources” tab. The PowerPoint presentations are located in this section.
A: Yes. When they are added as the co-instructor, they should be able to see the course and progress once it is published. If they cannot see this information, please use the “Request Assistance” form in MHFA Connect.
A: No, only the learner assigned this document may print this guide.
A: Once the class is published, progress is saved at that point. You can return to edit any time before the class.
A: Contact MHFA.Training@tn.gov for assistance.
A: Contact MHFA.Training@tn.gov for assistance.
A: Sign into MHFA Connect, then search down the left side of the navigation bar until you see "Resources". Select this link and then use the navigation bars at the top to select the category and type of resource you require.
A: Contact MHFA.Training@tn.gov for assistance.
A: After teaching a class, instructors will complete their REDCap survey to document the class details. Next, they will be directed automatically to the MHFA Connect website where they should mark the attendance for each student as "Attended”, “Cancelled”, or “No Show". This step is essential for the participants to receive their post-work, which is their final step to receive the certification.
A: In MHFA Connect, go to the “Resources” tab, and select the category 'Request Forms". Select the form with the description most closely aligned with your request. Please review your selection carefully as this will ensure you’re connected with the right team of experts as soon as possible. Once you select a form, please fill out all the fields that populate. These are mandatory fields to process your submission. For any questions you’re unable to answer, please enter “N/A.” After you click submit, you should receive an email within a few minutes confirming that National Council for Mental Well-Being received your support ticket. One of their live agents should contact you via email within 24 business hours.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or would like to speak with a member of our team, please email MHFA.Training@tn.gov.