MHFA, short for Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based, nationally recognized training program developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. It teaches adults the skills to recognize signs of mental health challenges and substance use in others, and how to respond with confidence before professional help is available. The CORE Academy is proud to offer certified Mental Health First Aid instruction through Andrew Miller, a certified MHFA Instructor credentialed through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. We deliver Youth MHFA for your school, daycare, or youth-serving organizations across Northeast Pennsylvania and nationwide.
Youth-focused curriculum that teaches you how to talk to young people ages 12-18 about mental health and substance use and how to step in. Youth Mental Health First Aid is delivered by The CORE Academy, a Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) Approved Organization and a Pennsylvania Department of Education Act 48 Approved Provider. Contact us before you enroll to confirm what credit this session carries for your certification.
Youth Mental Health First Aid is a public education program that teaches people how to notice when someone may be struggling with a mental health challenge or substance use issue, and how to offer initial support until professional help can be engaged. It is the mental health equivalent of CPR: a first-response skill that gives people a framework for action in moments when they do not know what to do.
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In this full-day training, you’ll learn how to help young people ages 12-18. Topics include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, bullying, social media, substance use and ADHD. You’ll be able to:Â
This is a 1-day, virtual training hosted via Zoom.
Times shared in the agenda section are in Eastern Standard Time (EST) but all time zones are welcome. This training will be taught by Andrew Miller – Lead Training Associate of The CORE Academy.
Course Details: This interactive training course comprises 2 hours of self-paced content (to be completed online independently before the live session) and one instructor-led session over Zoom. The live session is scheduled as a 6.5-hour block, which includes roughly 5.5 to 6 hours of instruction plus breaks. There is a maximum of 15 participants per offering. Participants in this class must be 18 years of age or older.
(Self-Paced):Â Virtual self-study module, you will navigate the Mental Health First Aid e-learning platform. You’ll learn about the purpose of MHFA, the role of the First Aider, substance use disorders, and recovery strategies, along with an introduction to signs and symptoms of mental health challenges affecting adults. This section typically takes about two hours to complete and must be finished before attending the live session.
(Instructor-Led):Â In the live session, you’ll engage in small group activities and develop skills to apply the 5-step action plan in various scenarios.Â
Technical Requirements:
YMHFA Training is directed towards identifying the signs and symptoms of mental illness in adolescents and young adults. You will leave this training with a Certification from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing (as long as all pre and post-work is completed). First-responders, college students, teachers, parents, mentors and others supporting youth are highly encouraged to receive this training and certification.
The CORE Academy delivers Mental Health First Aid training on-site at your location throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. If you are in the region, your staff does not need to travel. We bring the training to you.
Counties served for on-site MHFA delivery include Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wyoming, Wayne, Columbia, Montour, Lycoming, and Sullivan. We also serve surrounding communities throughout the broader NEPA region. Organizations looking to train a full team or staff cohort will find on-site delivery the most practical and cost-effective approach, since group training builds a shared framework and shared language across your organization in a single session.
For individual registration in upcoming open MHFA courses, view the training schedule for available dates and locations.
Mental Health First Aid training from The CORE Academy is available nationwide. Andrew Miller is a nationally certified MHFA Instructor credentialed through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, authorized to deliver Youth Mental Health First Aid training to organizations across the country.
If you are outside Northeast Pennsylvania and are looking to bring certified Mental Health First Aid training to your school, business, healthcare organization, or community agency, contact The CORE Academy to discuss scheduling, logistics, and pricing for your group.
Many workplaces are youth-serving environments: schools, camps, after-school programs, residential youth programs, athletic organizations, and community agencies. For these employers, Youth MHFA gives staff, supervisors, and program leaders a practical framework for noticing when a young person may be struggling and for responding in a way that is supportive without crossing professional boundaries.
Schools are one of the most important settings for Mental Health First Aid training. Teachers, administrators, support staff, coaches, and counselors are often the first adults who notice when a student is struggling. Yet most school staff report feeling unprepared to respond to a student mental health situation. Youth MHFA directly addresses that gap.
A trained school staff team shares a common framework for action. When a student shows signs of distress, any trained staff member can apply the ALGEE Action Plan – creating a more consistent, more supportive response across the school environment. Training an entire grade-level team or full school staff cohort in a single session is the most effective approach, and The CORE Academy can facilitate those larger group sessions on-site at your school.
MHFA for school settings addresses:
Mental Health First Aid at The CORE Academy is led by Andrew Miller, Lead Training Associate and certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Andrew brings more than fifteen years of direct care experience in behavioral health, crisis intervention, and professional training facilitation to every MHFA session. His background working directly with individuals in crisis – and his experience training staff across schools, nonprofits, and care organizations – makes him a uniquely effective Youth MHFA instructor.
Youth MHFA is especially high-value for organizations whose staff work with adolescents in high-stress or high-stakes settings: education, human services, residential care, youth sports, and community programming. Group delivery at your workplace lets your team build a shared language around youth mental health support. That reduces stigma, improves staff response, and creates a culture where young people get help earlier.
Childcare and early childhood program staff are in daily contact with young children and their families – and are frequently among the first to notice when something is off. While Youth MHFA is designed for adults working with youth ages 12 to 18, the skills translate directly to the observation, communication, and response skills that early childhood professionals need when concerns arise about a child’s mental health or family situation, or when staff are supporting parents who may be struggling themselves.
The CORE Academy offers on-site Youth MHFA training at daycare facilities and early childhood program locations throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. Staff teams that also want skills for supporting the adults they interact with, including parents and caregivers, can ask about Adult MHFA availability when scheduling.
MHFA training through The CORE Academy is available as a scheduled open course or as a private group training booked directly for your organization.
For open course registration, view the training schedule for upcoming dates and locations. Each participant who completes the full 5-hour training receives a digital certificate of completion from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Certification is valid for three years, at which point recertification is available. We conduct Youth MHFA zoom calls from our Wilkes-Barre training space.
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After you register, our team processes your enrollment within one business day and sends your pre-work access. Check your spam folder if nothing arrives. Complete all pre-work modules before your session date. If you arrive without finishing them, we will move you to a future session, and most of your completed pre-work carries over. We need at least four registered participants to run a session; if a class does not fill, you simply pick another date. If you register within 72 hours of a session, pre-work access may take up to one business day, so plan accordingly. Full refund and reschedule terms are on our Refund & Cancellation Policy page.
