Overview

As a part of the Steps to Leaps Initiative here at Purdue, we are pleased to invite faculty and staff to participate in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training. Knowing that mental health is a rising concern across higher education and in our local communities, Steps to Leaps, specifically focusing on the element of ‘support and coaching,’ is working to better prepare our campus community with knowledge and awareness around many areas, including mental health and wellness. 

Mental Health First Aid is a program designed to help community members identify, understand, and respond to mental illness while increasing awareness of available resources. MHFA is an eight-hour training designed to give participants the skills to help someone who is developing a mental health concern or experiencing a mental health crisis. The course uses role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to recognize & respond to the warning signs and symptoms of a mental illness or emotional crisis.  

The course is tailored specifically for university culture to include:

• A discussion of campus culture and its relevance to the topic of mental health
• A discussion of the specific stress and risk factors faced by the higher education population
• A review of mental health resources on campus and through partnerships in the community

Mental Health First Aid helps people understand that mental illnesses and addictions are real, common, and treatable. It also affirms that it's okay to seek help. Research demonstrates this program's effectiveness in improving mental illness and substance abuse knowledge, removing fear and misunderstanding, and enabling those trained to offer concrete assistance.