Mental Health First Aid

Building Capacity, Empathy, and Community

Mental Health First Aid is not clinical training. It’s practical, human skill-building - built around real conversations, real scenarios, and a framework you can actually use when the moment arrives. Grounded in the certified curriculums of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, this program strips away the hesitation that so often freezes us in difficult moments, replacing it with a structured, step-by-step action plan. These are not theoretical concepts. They’re durable, evidence-based life-saving skills you’ll use at work, at home, and in the ordinary moments when someone needs to know they are not alone.

In Their Words

“The MHFA course was incredibly engaging and practical. It gave me the confidence to approach conversations about mental health with more empathy and understanding, both at work and in my personal life. I would absolutely recommend this training to anyone looking to build meaningful, supportive connections.”

Jessica Jones, Farm Credit Canada, Abbotsford, BC

Choose Your Pathway

Explore our available Mental Health First Aid training streams below to find the framework that best fits your goals, your schedule, and your organizational needs.

MHFA Essentials

Practical tools and confidence for anyone who wants to respond when something feels off.
1 training day.

MHFA Certification

A deeper understanding of mental health challenges and crisis response, with a nationally recognised credential valid for three years.
2 training days.

MHFA Supporting Youth

Coming soon.
Designed for adults who work or care for young people aged 12 to 24.

MHFA Supporting Older Adults

Coming Soon. Designed for adults who work with or care for people aged 65 and over.

Where MHFA comes from, and what the research says

Mental Health First Aid began in Canberra in 2000, created by educator Betty Kitchener and mental health researcher Anthony Jorm. The idea was straightforward: we train people in physical first aid, so why not this? Not to diagnose or treat, just to know what to do until professional help arrives. It came to Canada in 2006 through Alberta, was reviewed by Canadian experts and rebuilt with Canadian statistics and context, and has been held by the Mental Health Commission of Canada since 2010. It's now delivered in around 30 countries, with more than eight million people trained.

It's also been studied. A review of 18 controlled trials involving nearly 6,000 participants found that MHFA training improves knowledge of mental health problems, recognition of mental disorders, and confidence in helping, with effects holding up to six months. The research is clearer on knowledge and confidence than on longer-term behaviour change, which is part of why refresher training matters.

Morgan, A. J., Ross, A., & Reavley, N. J. (2018). Systematic review and meta-analysis of Mental Health First Aid training: Effects on knowledge, stigma, and helping behaviour. PLOS ONE.

All are welcome. Mental health literacy belongs to everyone.