MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID PROGRAM
Mental Health First Aid is a groundbreaking public education program that helps the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Mental Health First Aid USA is managed, operated, and disseminated by three national authorities: The National Council for Community Behavioral Health Care, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

Mental Health First Aid is offered in the form of an 8 hour interactive course. MIKID can provide any of the following curriculums: Youth, Adult, Public Safety, Military/Veterans and their families. These courses present an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the U.S. and introduce participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, building an understanding of their impact, and provides an overview of common treatments. Those who take the 8 hour course to certify as a Mental Health First Aider learn a 5-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to help an individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care.
The Mental Health First Aid course has benefited a variety of audiences and key professions, including: primary care professionals, employers and business leaders, faith communities, school personnel and educators, state police and corrections officers, nursing home staff, mental health authorities, state policy makers, volunteers, young people, families and the general public.