Virtual Mental Health First Aid Training

Description

Mental Health First Aid USA is a public education program managed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that helps learners identify signs and symptoms of a mental health challenge in adults, understand the effects of mental health challenges on an adult’s life, and safely respond to an adult experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis. 

Mental Health First Aid does not prepare learners to take on the role of professionals. First Aiders will not be trained to diagnose, provide counseling, or prescribe medications. Mental Health First Aid is also not a counseling or therapy group for the learner. 

This course includes 2 hours of self-paced work on the Connect learning system and an 8-hour interactive instructor-led class via Zoom. Following the successful completion of this course, participants will receive a certificate that lasts for 3 years. Receiving a Mental Health First Aid certificate does not mandate a learner to use Mental Health First Aid, but rather shows that the person has successfully learned the information provided in the Mental Health First Aid course. 

For more information on the history and success of Mental Health First Aid USA at the national level, please visit: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/about/

For more information about Mental Health First Aid USA at Michigan State University Extension, please visit: https://www.canr.msu.edu/mental-health-first-aid/

Who Should Attend

Any person looking to strengthen their skills in recognizing and responding to mental health challenges and crises in their communities, social networks, and workplaces can benefit from this course.

This training is designed for adults 18 years and older whose primary residence is in the United States. If your primary residence is located outside of the U.S., take the MHFA course that is hosted by the country of your primary residence. You can find the countries currently offering MHFA at this link: International MHFA Programs.

Please note that this course is offered in English and is not eligible to be offered through a translator (other than ASL by request). Spanish, Khmer, Chinese, and Korean versions of the USA Adult Mental Health First Aid course are available but not currently offered by MSU Extension trainers. You can find instructors that offer the course in these languages on the Mental Health First Aid USA Find a Course page. The Connect system where learner pre-work is completed can be translated into the following languages: Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean. Note that the Connect system language will be translated but all learning materials will be shown in English when enrolled in this course. 

If you have been certified in Mental Health First Aid USA previously and would like to renew your certification, you can choose to either re-take the entirety of the instructor-led course or take a shortened, self-paced recertification course in the Connect learning management system. There are specific requirements to be eligible for the recertification course. Find information about your eligibility on our FAQs page. If you are eligible, you can find information on how to access the recertification course in this article: How to Renew Your Mental Health First Aid Certification. Any questions about recertifying through the shortened, self-paced recertification course should be sent directly to Mental Health First Aid USA at hello@mentalhealthfirstaid.org.

Location

This course will take place online via the Connect learning platform and Zoom. Information about accessing the self-paced work in Connect and the Zoom meeting information will be sent out via email after registering for this course.

Time

The self-paced work on Connect takes learners about 2 hours to complete and can be done either all at once or in sections any time before the pre-work due date: Sept. 20, 2024, at 12 p.m. (noon) ET. 

The instructor-led Zoom session begins at 8:30 a.m. ET and ends at 4:30 p.m. ET.

If you are unable to attend the entire duration of the training day, please select an alternative course as we cannot certify any individual that misses more than 10% (40 minutes) of the total training time for any reason. It is not allowable to make up any amount of missed time in a different course. There will be no individual makeup sessions offered. 

Date

Thursday, September 26th
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET

Cost

The cost of Mental Health First Aid is $45 per registrant. This includes access to the Connect learning system and all its resources for 3 years, the instructor-led session, and a downloadable certificate. 

Registration and Coursework Process 

1. Upon completing this registration, you will receive a receipt via the email provided.
2. Within a week of registering, you will within a month or less of your course date receive an email from msue.mhfa@msu.edu with your Connect account information. Please check your junk and/or spam folders for this email if you don't receive it.
   • If you do not have an existing Connect account, click the link in the email from msue.mhfa@msu.edu and log in to Connect with the account information provided in the email. Upon logging in with the provided account information, you will be asked to change your password. You will be able to access your pre-work once filling out the rest of your account information in Connect. 
   • If your existing Connect account is through one of our current Adult MHFA instructors, you will be added directly to your course pre-work and will not have any additional steps to complete to gain access to the course pre-work. This will be communicated to you in the email from msue.mhfa@msu.edu.
   • If you have an existing Connect account through another instructor group, you will not be automatically enrolled in the course. Instead, you will receive an email invite from notifications@learnupon.com and msue.mhfa@msu.edu. There will be a link in both emails to log in to Connect. Log in to Connect with your existing account information through one of the links. It doesn't matter which email link you log in through, they will both work. Once you have logged in through your specialized link found in either email using your existing account information, wait 1-2 business days to be granted access to the course pre-work.  
3. Complete the course pre-work, which includes modules 1-10 in your Connect course. Pre-work will be complete when the progress bar is at 69%. Pre-work can be completed all at once or in sections any time before the due date. The pre-work is due at 12 p.m. (noon) ET the Friday before your course (Sept. 20, 2024).
   
   • Extensions may be granted per request. You will receive periodic reminders from your course instructors if your pre-work is not complete. You will not receive a verification email when your pre-work is complete unless you ask for it. Failure to complete the pre-work by the due date without an extension request may result in removal from the course.
4. You will receive an email from your course instructors 1 day before your course with the Zoom meeting information as long as your course pre-work is complete.
5. The instructor-led session will take place on Zoom from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET on the course date. Participants must be present and engaged in the training for at least 90% of the teaching time (no more than 40 minutes away total, not including scheduled breaks) in order to be certified.
   
   • Present and engaged means that the participant's camera is on, the participant is within the view of their camera, the participant can unmute themselves and speak to the group, and the participant can type responses to questions in the chatbox. Failure to meet the expectations of the training without prior approval for accommodations for disabilities or extenuating circumstances may result in no certification and no refund per our cancellation policy.
6. After attending the instructor-led session, you will receive an email from your course instructors with instructions on how to complete the Connect post-course modules and download your certificate.

Course Requirements

Devices used to complete this course must meet the following requirements:

• Internet access
• Ability to run the Zoom application or web version of Zoom
• Working camera
• Working speaker
• Working microphone

A separate device, such as a cell phone, may be used for a camera/speaker/microphone if the device used for viewing the Zoom application and Connect materials does not have these capabilities.

This course, including the pre-work and the instructor-led day, is not designed to be completed solely from a cell phone. Please make plans to complete the pre-work and instructor-led day from a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. 

Driving while participating in the course is not allowed. Participants will be asked to leave the Zoom meeting or will be removed from the instructor-led training if they are found to be driving during the course due to safety concerns. Removal from the course due to driving will count toward a learner's away time. Learners can return to the course at their discretion once they are no longer driving.

Cancellation Policy

• Cancel on or before Sept. 13, 2024 - FULL REFUND of $45. 
• Cancel on or after Sept. 14, 2024 - NO REFUND
  • Failure to complete your pre-work by 12 p.m. (noon) ET on Sept. 20, 2024, without approval for an extension will result in cancellation.
  • Failure to attend at least 90% of the instructor-led session will result in cancellation.
• Exceptions to this cancellation policy may be made at the discretion of the course instructors.

Cancellation Policy for MSU Staff and Faculty (Including MSU Extension)

• Failure to complete your pre-work by 12 p.m. (noon) ET on Sept. 20, 2024, without approval for an extension will result in removal from the course.
• Failure to attend and actively participate in at least 90% of the instructor-led session will result in not being certified. 
• Exceptions to this cancellation policy may be made at the discretion of the course instructors.

Payment Options

• Michigan State University Extension Employees:
  • Pay with a PCard or Credit Card. Get supervisor approval before taking this course. Supervisors will provide you with the account to use to reconcile the charge.
    • For any questions about payment, email msue.mhfa@msu.edu or your supervisor for assistance.
• Michigan State University Staff and Faculty (not Extension)
  • Pay with a PCard or Credit Card. 
• Registering as an individual not affiliated with MSU, and MSU students:
  • Individuals must pay by Credit Card at the time of registration when able. If payment by Credit Card is unavailable, please contact msue.mhfa@msu.edu.
• Group Registrations- individuals register themselves but a single payment method for the group is to be used:
  • This must be approved by the Mental Health First Aid team. Email msue.mhfa@msu.edu to move forward with this option.
• Group Registrations- one person registering on behalf of a group:
  • If you would like to register multiple participants on their behalf, please choose the group registration option on the following page and be ready to provide the following information for each participant:
    • First and Last name of the participant
    • Pronouns of the participant (not required)
    • Email of the participant (this must be an individual email, not a shared email address)
    • Phone number of the participant (this must be the best number to reach the participant at the location they are completing the training from)
    • Address of the participant (home address, not work address if possible)
    • County of the participant (the county of residence, not the county of work location if possible)
    • Which participants have an existing Connect account (if you don't know, select no for this question)
    • Special needs accommodations requests for the participant
  • Payment via Credit Card at the time of registration is preferred, email msue.mhfa@msu.edu if payment by Credit Card at time of registration is not available for your group.

Trainers

Carly Sandoval - Program Lead
glunzcar@msu.edu

Abigail Cudney
ajcudney@msu.edu

Kai Gritter
grittern@msu.edu

Lisa Tams
tams@msu.edu

Jacqueline Rabine
rabineja@msu.edu

Misty Oebel
oebelmis@msu.edu