Train to be a Mental Health First aider for Free through DCCCA. We want to ensure all Kansans are equipped to provide support for those experiencing a Mental Health or Substance use Challenge.
Thanks to funding from KDADS and Healthy Blue, DCCCA can provide MHFA trainings at NO COST TO YOU. Join the 46,033 people across the state of Kansas and become a Mental Health First Aider!
Mental Health First Aid Training Calendar
| Mental Health First Aid General Audience Trainings | Date |
|---|---|
| Adult Mental Health First Aid | December 7, 2023 |
| Youth Mental Health First Aid | January 20, 2024 |
| Adult Mental Health First Aid | February 21, 2024 |
| Adult Mental Health First Aid | March 8, 2024 |
| Youth Mental Health First Aid | April 27, 2024 |
| Adult Mental Health First Aid | May 2, 2024 |
| Adult Mental Health First Aid | June 4, 2024 |
| Youth Mental Health First Aid | July 13, 2024 |
| Adult Mental Health First Aid | August 15, 2024 |
| Adult Mental Health First Aid | September 27, 2024 |
| Select a training date to register for an upcoming session. Please register within one week of the scheduled training date. | All trainings are free and hosted online. |
What is MHFA?
Find out more about the types of courses offered and the benefits to becoming a Mental Health First Aider.
Mental Health First Aid Kansas (MHFA KS) is a DCCCA prevention program that provides Mental Health First Aid trainings virtually and in-person across the State of Kansas, working to serve all communities and sectors. We offer the standard curriculums of Adult MHFA and Youth MHFA in addition to the community-specific trainings for a variety of sectors. Thanks to funding from KDADS and Healthy Blue, DCCCA provides all MHFA courses free of cost to Kansas organizations, businesses and individuals.
Types of courses offered:
Youth
- This training is for those individuals who work with youth/teens on a regular basis and would like to learn how to help support these individuals through a variety of early intervention, worsening situations, and crisis scenarios. You will be learning the signs and symptoms of a variety of mental health challenges including but not limited to anxiety and panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and borderline personality disorder to name a few. This certification will equip you with specific tools and strategies to be able to take first steps to ensure safety for all within the situation. MHFA does not cover how to diagnose or treat a mental health or substance use challenge.
Adult
- This training is for those individuals who work with fellow aged adults at work on a regular basis and would like to learn how to help support these individuals through a variety of early intervention, worsening situations, and crisis. You will be learning the signs and symptoms of a variety of mental health challenges including but not limited to anxiety and panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and borderline personality disorder to name a few. This certification will equip you to with specific tools and strategies to be able to take first steps to ensure safety for all within the situation. MHFA does not cover how to diagnose or treat a mental health or substance use challenge.
Community Specific Trainings
- Besides general adult to adult and adult to youth trainings, DCCCA offers a few Community -Specific MHFA curriculums that can be requested as a private instruction session. We are currently offering the following trainings upon request:
- Public Safety
- Tribal Communities
- Military Veterans
- Older Adults
- Rural Communities
- Corrections Professionals
- All specialized trainings are In Person only, specifics for that type of training day can be found in “request a training”
Request a Training
Besides the monthly training DCCCA puts on for the general Kansas audience, a private training for your organization can be requested if you would like many in your agency to become certified in MHFA. Just like the general audience trainings these are absolutely no cost to you.
Who are we?
For nearly 50 years DCCCA has been providing social and community services to improve the safety, health, and well-being of those we serve. Find out more about where MHFA fits in, and who your trainers will be.
FAQ and Contact Information
Receive further information about specific course questions and clarifications.
What is MHFA?
Find out more about the types of courses offered and the benefits to becoming a Mental Health First Aider.
Mental Health First Aid Kansas (MHFA KS) is a DCCCA prevention program that provides Mental Health First Aid trainings virtually and in-person across the State of Kansas, working to serve all communities and sectors. We offer the standard curriculums of Adult MHFA and Youth MHFA in addition to the community-specific trainings for a variety of sectors. Thanks to funding from KDADS and Healthy Blue, DCCCA provides all MHFA courses free of cost to Kansas organizations, businesses and individuals.
Types of courses offered:
Youth
- This training is for those individuals who work with youth/teens on a regular basis and would like to learn how to help support these individuals through a variety of early intervention, worsening situations, and crisis scenarios. You will be learning the signs and symptoms of a variety of mental health challenges including but not limited to anxiety and panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and borderline personality disorder to name a few. This certification will equip you with specific tools and strategies to be able to take first steps to ensure safety for all within the situation. MHFA does not cover how to diagnose or treat a mental health or substance use challenge.
Adult
- This training is for those individuals who work with fellow aged adults at work on a regular basis and would like to learn how to help support these individuals through a variety of early intervention, worsening situations, and crisis. You will be learning the signs and symptoms of a variety of mental health challenges including but not limited to anxiety and panic attacks, suicidal ideation, and borderline personality disorder to name a few. This certification will equip you to with specific tools and strategies to be able to take first steps to ensure safety for all within the situation. MHFA does not cover how to diagnose or treat a mental health or substance use challenge.
Community Specific Trainings
- Besides general adult to adult and adult to youth trainings, DCCCA offers a few Community -Specific MHFA curriculums that can be requested as a private instruction session. We are currently offering the following trainings upon request:
- Public Safety
- Tribal Communities
- Military Veterans
- Older Adults
- Rural Communities
- Corrections Professionals
- All specialized trainings are In Person only, specifics for that type of training day can be found in “request a training”
Request a Training
Besides the monthly training, DCCCA puts on for the general Kansas audience, a private training for your organization can be requested if you would like many in your agency to become certified in MHFA. Just like the general audience trainings these are absolutely no cost to you.
Blended/Virtual
Blended/In-Person
Full In-Person
Who are we?
For nearly 50 years DCCCA has been providing social and community services to improve the safety, health, and well-being of those we serve. Find out more about where MHFA fits in, and who your trainers will be.
DCCCA provides social and community services that improve the health, safety, and well-being of those we serve. After more than 45 years of service, DCCCA has broadened its service delivery to include a comprehensive array of programs. Through Behavioral Health, Prevention, Traffic Safety, Family Preservation, Foster Care, Quality Improvement, and other programs, DCCCA continues to honor its commitment to the community by providing valuable human services that help enrich and improve the quality of life for adults, youth and children.
| MHFA Coordination Staff | Deanne Armstrong Ariel Cohn Liz Jerome |
| DCCCA Trainers | Deanne Armstrong Beth Barnard *Sam Bauer Mechelle Caprez Ariel Cohn Lydia Fuqua *Courtney Garrett *Sara Gudenkauf Stacy Haines Abby Jackson Arielle Kelly *Danielle Lee *Mike Parsons *Indicates only Adult MHFA certified |
| Specialized Certification | Ariel Cohn (Adult, Youth, Public Safety, Tribal communities, Correction Professionals, Rural, Older Adults) Deanne Armstrong (Adult, Youth, Tribal communities, Rural, Older Adults) Lydia Fuqua (Adult, Youth, Public Safety) |
FAQ and Contact Information
Receive further information about specific course questions and clarifications.
For any further questions regarding Mental Health First Aid, email us directly at MHFA-KS@dccca.org.
How much do the trainings cost?
- Thanks to our grants, especially Healthy Blue, we are able to provide all Mental Health First Aid trainings absolutely free!
When and where can I find my pre-work materials?
- Once you have signed up for a course, your instructor will reach out to you with a link to connect and instructions on how to access everything. You will need to reset your password upon first logging in.
My connect course progress is showing 69% complete but I did all the pre-work, what is going on?
- The course progress is for the entire course, including prework, instruction day, and post work. If your prework is done and you see 69% you are fully ready for your in-person training!
I cannot make the training day or I have to leave early, will I still get certified?
- No, unfortunately if you are unable to attend we are not allowed to certify you as a Mental Health First Aider.
The full in-person training says 5.5 hours and the virtual says 6.5 on another website, is the full in-person a shorter training?
- MHFA National Council specifies that the virtual training time listed includes all breaks including lunch. The times we list on our website were changed to include breaks/lunch for all courses. As listed the in-person time on the main MHFA page does not include breaks or lunch and the total actual time for that class is roughly 9 hours.
When will I get access to MHFA connect?
- You will get an email from your instructor about 2 weeks before the training day. You will hear from the instructor a few more times before training as well: reminders about prework, due dates, and meeting links (if virtual) will all be sent over the weeks leading up to the day.