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.
DCCCA provides monthly trainings in either Youth MHFA or Adult MHFA for free. All General audience training DCCCA provides will be taught in a Blended/Virtual format. Dates for our upcoming trainings can be found on the MHFA KS homepage.
Request a Training
- If your organization or agency would like to have many employees/staff members become certified in MHFA, any group can request a personal training. These trainings will work with what works best for how your organization learns: these can be either virtual or in person. For more information, visit Request a Training.