Mental Health, Psychological, Spiritual First Aid – Free

Here is my thread on courses and certification on the subject of…

Mental Health First Aid

Psychological First Aid

Spiritual First Aid

 

Hartford Healthcare

https://hartfordhealthcare.org/health-wellness/classes-events

Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack-even if you have no clinical training-Mental Health First Aid allows you to assist someone experiencing a mental health-related crisis. In the course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. After attending all 7.5 hours, you will be a certified Mental Health First Aider.

Webinar: Adult Mental Health First Aid

Webinar: Youth Mental Health First Aid

Look to September 2025 for current courses. It will probably be repeated in the future.

Free. Certificate.

You do part on your own, and then attend a live virtual class online. Saturdays.

When on the website, read carefully, as some of the classes I have not listed are paid courses.

Also.

Webinar: Q.P.R. Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention

Currently listed with multiple dates.

 

Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online

National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)

https://learn.nctsn.org/

Free. Certificate.

This 5-hour interactive online training offers a certificate of completion with 5 CEs upon completion.

 

Principles of Psychological First Aid

DisasterReady

https://www.disasterready.org/

Free. Certificate.

In this 2-hour curriculum learn what psychological first aid (PFA) is and is not, how to provide it responsibly, who can provide it, when and where it should be provided, and when someone should be referred for more specialized care.

 

Psychological First Aid for Children

Kaya

https://kayaconnect.org/

Free. Certificate.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) for Children course will introduce you to the concepts and steps involved in providing support to children following a distressing event.

 

Psychological First Aid (PFA) in disaster management in the Caribbean - Second Edition

PAHO

https://campus.paho.org/en/course/psychological-first-aid-pfa-disaster-management-caribbean-second-edition-2020

Free. Certificate.

The Psychological First Aid (PFA) course is a twelve-hour self-paced training. It aims to equip lay persons with the tools to appropriately provide the initial response to individuals experiencing psychological distress secondary to crisis situations.

 

I can vouch for the QPR training. I used to work in suicide prevention and both took and facilitated a variety of training. Their suicide awareness training is a great tool for someone who only has 30-60 minutes and is often available for free or <$5 for materials. For those who want a much more intensive (but paid) course, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is 2 days long and usually around $200. It covers more advanced topics with a lot of practice, but still accessible for a general audience.

 

Hello!

As said in the "Signum Magnum College thread, I highly recommend the "Psychological First Aid" course on Coursera. I took it after I had spent about 40 minutes trying to comfort a crying colleague at work on the phone—an experience for which I felt completely unprepared. And although the course is primarily designed for first responders in disaster situations, it would still have helped me feel significantly less helpless at the time.

Best regards,
Mac Juli