Mental Health First Aid
For Everyone. And Every One.
Empowering Organizations, Communities and Individuals to advance mental wellness
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) provides the practical knowledge and skills to support to a person who may be experiencing a decline in their mental well-being, or a mental health or substance use crisis until professional help is available.
Trusted around the world
- Evidence Based
- Implemented in 26 nations world-wide
- 7 million people trained
As a Mental Health First Aider, you will develop:
Peace of Mind
You’ll be better able to help if someone around you, like a friend or coworker, is having a hard time. You’ll feel prepared and confident to step in and offer initial support.
Practical Skills
You’ll be equipped with simple, actionable steps to provide support until the person can access professional help if needed.
Easier Dialogue
It helps you handle brave conversations without feeling awkward or worried you’ll say the wrong thing.
Stronger Connections
By learning to recognize when someone may need a little extra support, you’ll become a more compassionate friend, partner, or family member, strengthening relationships and your community.
MHFA also emphasizes self-care for the first aider, helping you recognize your own limits and prioritize your well-being while supporting others. By equipping participants with practical skills and confidence, MHFA aims to contribute to a culture where mental health challenges are met with understanding and appropriate support.
Course structured for impact
Course adaptations for enhanced community impact.
For organizations, it is scalable with in-house and external facilitator training options.
Module 1
MHFA Standard
Self-paced, Online (2 hours):
Introduces participants to MHFA actions and focuses on the information and strategies participants will practice during modules 2 & 3.
Module 2
Facilitator-Led, Live (3.5 hours):
Practice applying MHFA actions to situations of declining mental well-being. Guidelines for communicating non-judgmentally and with respect.
Module 3
Facilitator-Led, Live (3.5 hours):
Practice applying MHFA action to mental health or substance use crisis situations. Strategies to respond to possible challenges. Self-care for first aider.
Key Objectives
- Recognize signs of mental health or substance use decline or problem.
- Greater empathy, and connection/ decreased stigma towards people with lived or living experience.
- Increased confidence in providing help to others.
- Improved mental well-being of MHFA participants.
Learn how to use ALGES
ALGES is a simple, and essential Action Plan that helps a Mental Health First Aider provide support until professional help is available.
- Approach the person, assess, and assist with any crisis
- Listen and communicate non-judgmentally
- Give reassurance and information
- Encourage the person to reach out to supports
- Self-care for the first aider
Pricing Information
- Individuals: starts from $225 per person
- Groups: $2,800 per virtual session with a maximum capacity of 15 participants, or $3,500 per in-person session with a maximum capacity of 25 participants. ​
Mental Health First Aid Training Options
When training reflects real experiences from a community, the impact becomes even more meaningful. In addition to MHFA Standard, we offer a suite of tailored MHFA courses.
Become a Certified MHFA Facilitator
The Facilitator Certification Training is designed for people who want to offer the MHFA course in the communities, workplaces or organizations. As a Certified MHFA facilitator you will join the Opening Minds Facilitator Community that is over 1000 people strong across Canada.
Mental Health First Aid Case Studies
Learn more about how MHFA is helping to transform mental wellness in organizations across Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mental Health First Aid and The Working Mind curriculum is available in the English and French language.
Psychological Health and Safety training is available in English only at this moment. French version will be available at the end of 2024.
Private group sessions require 8 people. Maximum number of participants in each group is 15. We encourage groups under 8 people to use our publicly scheduled courses with independent facilitators. Some facilitators have a direct booking option, while others prefer that participants contact them directly to reserve a seat.
Anyone can register to a publicly scheduled course
Those looking to book a course as an individual or a group under 8 participants should check our publicly scheduled course. For group training request please contact our client development team.
Yes. As part of its Psychological Health and Safety Training and Assessment Program Opening a combination of training and assessment that bridges the guidance from the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety with the evolving needs of workplaces. With the help of this program we are able to make sure that mental health awareness programs are integrated through our assessment process, and identify if TWM and MHFA are present.
Our live, interactive corporate training programs are priced by the delivery of virtual or in person training.
You pay a fixed price for a dedicated session designed to deliver maximum impact for your team. This provides you with the flexibility to strategically select participants, course timing, and create the ideal learning environment.
The program is designed to accommodate up to 15 participants virtually, or 25 participants in person allowing you to tailor your participant list to achieve the best cohort dynamics and maximize the value for your organization.
Live sessions start in the range of $190 per person, based on a 15-person virtual session. There must be a minimum of 8 participants to ensure rich dialogue and effective breakout sessions.
Contact us for a personalized consultation and quote. Corporate bundles are available for bulk purchases. We also offer on-line, self-paced, asynchronous options for select programs starting at $69.95 per participant.
Training your team together as a dedicated cohort offers unique advantages that contribute to a stronger and more supportive workplace. With flexibility around your work schedule, you get to pick the dates that work best for you and a facilitator that meets your needs as an organization.
Learning together creates a shared experience, fosters team cohesion, and builds trust among colleagues. Role-playing and breakout sessions with teammates provide a safe and practical way to apply new skills and open dialogue. Ensures all team members receive the same core information and develop a common language around mental health within the context of your team, leading to a unified approach to wellbeing and facilitating ongoing conversations.
The shared experience and team-specific dialogue create a ripple effect, encouraging employees to support each other and apply their learning in their daily interactions with their colleagues, building a culture of wellbeing within your team.
Absolutely! We work with organizations of all sizes. Our fixed-price course sessions offer a great value, especially when you consider the comprehensive nature of the training and the flexibility it provides.
Even with a smaller team, you can utilize the available capacity to train your staff, offer training to key partners or stakeholders, or even use the sessions as a benefit to attract and retain talent. We're happy to discuss how our programs can be a cost-effective solution for your organization.
Don't hesitate to reach out – we're happy to explore the possibilities with you.
