I was certified before, but my certification expired; how do I renew it?
Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid Credentials are valid for three years and must be renewed at the end of each three-year period to maintain accreditation. Mental Health First Aiders can recertify their MHFA credentials completely online in a 60-minute asynchronous training course priced at $29.95.
Eligibility Requirements for online, self-paced recertification course in Connect
- You were trained online using the Connect learning management system in October 2021 or later. You will receive an automated email from the National Mental Health First Aid team 30 days before your certification expires as a reminder to do so. To be eligible for the shortened recertification option, you must re-certify within 90 days of expiration. If you miss the 90-day window, you must retake the entire course to renew your certification. For further instructions on accessing the recertification course when it is time to do so, visit How to Renew Your Mental Health First Aid Certification – Mental Health First Aid Help Center (zendesk.com)
The second option is to attend a training session with one of our MHFA instructors. MHFA material is updated every 3 years; we encourage you to attend a full session again to recertify to ensure you are receiving the most updated information provided by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. If you are affiliated with AppState, there is no cost to attend!
How long is the Mental Health First Aid training?
The Mental Health First Aid Training Program is scheduled for a maximum of 8 hours. It’s a certification course designed to equip participants with tools to respond to psychiatric emergencies and improve mental health literacy. However, other variations of Mental Health First Aid courses specialize in different communities and may have different durations. Instructors can break this time up between several sessions or hybrid courses. If you would like more information, we'd love to talk to you more about your scheduling interests!
What is the MHFA Connect learning system?
Connect is the online platform utilized by Mental Health First Aid USA and Youth Mental Health First Aid USA for participants to engage in the self-paced sections of their course and to access supplemental materials for the instructor-led sessions. For Adult MHFA, participants will have a Connect account set up on their behalf, with login details sent via email by the MHFA team. It's imperative for participants to log in to Connect before their instructor-led course to complete any requisite pre-course work by the specified deadline. For Youth and Teen Mental Health First Aid, details on how to access the Connect system can be found in the registration form and course instructor emails. Registration fees include access to the Connect platform and all its materials for the length of the certification.
What is the pre-work on Connect? (Adult and Youth)
Depending on the type of course (fully session or hybrid), pre-work consists of approximately 2 hours of videos, short knowledge checks, and readings that help prepare the learner to successfully engage in the instructor-led session. There are 9 modules in Connect that must be marked as complete by the deadline listed in a course's registration form. Complete pre-work is 69% completion in the Connect system.
Pre-work does not have to be completed all at once. A learner's progress will be saved and work can be resumed at a later time. If a learner were to complete pre-work for one course and then move to a different course, the pre-work can be transferred in some circumstances. Ask your course instructors for more details.
The pre-work for Youth Mental Health First Aid and Adult Mental Health First Aid are different. If you are already certified in one, you must still complete the pre-work again for the other course.
What is the Mental Health First Aid certification good for?
Adult Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to respond appropriately to mental health challenges and crises observed in adult neighbors, coworkers, clients, family members, and strangers in everyday life similar to how a physical first aid/CPR course prepares learners to respond to physical health emergencies. Mental Health First Aid does not replace or supersede any professional degrees or workplace obligations. Mental Health First Aid is not counseling or therapy nor does it train learners to be counselors. Mental Health First Aid certification can be a good supplement to professional mental health training or be a stand-alone certification to improve one’s own mental health knowledge and skills to help other adults in their community and social networks.
Youth Mental Health First Aid prepares participants to respond appropriately to mental health challenges and crises observed in any youth 12-18 years old they may know or encounter, similar to how a physical first aid/CPR course prepares learners to respond to physical health emergencies. Youth Mental Health First Aid does not replace or supersede any professional degrees or workplace obligations. Youth Mental Health First Aid is not counseling or therapy nor does it train learners to be youth counselors. Youth Mental Health First Aid certification can be a good supplement to professional mental health training or be a stand-alone certification to improve one’s own mental health knowledge and skills to help youth in their community and social networks.
How do I access my certificate?
After completing the pre-work, attending the instructor led session, and completing a few post-work items in Connect, you are able to download your Mental Health First Aid certificate from Connect. In order for your certificate to be available, your course must be marked at 100% completion.
Any other questions? Feel free to email them to Katie Lail, MHFA Coordinator/Instructor at lailkm1@appstate.edu