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Instructor Role

Only certified Instructors can teach the Mental Health First Aid course to the public. Instructors may organize courses in their communities and may charge a fee. They must provide Mental Health First Aid USA participant manuals to all those who attend the course. Find Instructors in your community.

What Instructors Do

lindenoaks instructorThe primary role of Instructors is to teach the Mental Health First Aid course with fidelity to the core program model and key messages. Each Instructor has a set of materials to help guide them through course facilitation.

To teach a course, certified Instructors must order manuals and prepare course materials and resources (available on the Instructor Portal) for all their participants. Upon completion, Instructors must provide participant evaluations to Mental Health First Aid USA. Instructors typically team up with another certified Instructor to teach the course, but may also choose to teach on their own.

Putting on a course involves much more than just showing up and teaching it. Instructors frequently have organizational support to help them with other tasks related to the program such as:

  • Strategic planning (e.g., creating business plans, forming community partnerships, outreach)
  • Setting a course schedule
  • Setting and collecting course fees
  • Marketing and media outreach
  • Course registration
  • Event planning (e.g., catering, logistics)
  • Seeking grants
  • Evaluation and analysis of program’s success

Who They Teach

Certified Instructors may teach the 8-hour Mental Health First Aid course to any interested audiences in their community. Those trained include:

  • Educators and school administrators
  • Human resources professionals
  • Members of faith communities
  • Homeless shelter workers
  • Health and human services workers
  • Nurses/physician assistants/primary care workers
  • Police, first responders and security personnel
  • Mental health authorities
  • Policymakers
  • Substance use treatment professionals
  • Social workers
  • Persons with mental illness/addictions and their families
  • Caring citizens
  • In July 2015, I had the opportunity to take a Mental Health First Aid course at WestCare Nevada. Little did I know that just a few days later I would be using the information and techniques I had learned in the class in a real life situation.” –Rick Denton
  • Hilda Marie’s worst nightmare was unfolding right before her eyes. Teetering at the edge of the platform was a woman poised to jump in front of an oncoming train. What would you do? For Hilda, there was no question. She turned to the skills she learned in the eight-hour Mental Health First Aid class she completed. ” –Hilda Marie
  • I recently got dispatched on a psychiatric call...because I took the Mental Health First Aid class, I knew not to take the attitude that she's crazy and was able to keep her calm.” –Sarah L., EMT
  • I’ve taken regular first aid, and I’ve used both, but certainly the opportunities to use Mental Health First Aid are much more abundant.” –Nathan Krause, Pastor, Olney Seventh-day Adventist Church, Maryland
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