Is supporting your clients and colleagues when they are experiencing mental health stress, and being able to more effectively and comfortably handle mental health crises situations important to you? If so, a national MHFA certification may be the solution.
What is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)?
MHFA is a nationally recognized set of go-to key skills - called an “action plan” - used to provide effective early intervention and help to someone developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.
MHFA is a research-based strategy, listed on the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices.
How does one become nationally certified in MHFA?
To become a national certified MHFA provider, you must complete a MHFA certification course in accordance with national standards and content from the National Council for Wellbeing
The MHFA certification course offered through VetBadger is in full compliance with all national standards and content
The MHFA certification course consists of:
2-hours of online self-paced content;
6.5 hours of live remote/virtual instructor*-led training via Zoom (includes a 30 min lunch and two 15 min breaks)
Class materials will be emailed out 6 weeks before class start date, and must be completed prior to receiving Zoom link for live class.
1 hour of post-Zoom online self-paced content.
Upon completion of the course, you will be nationally certified in MHFA! Veterinary professionals from anywhere in the United States are welcome to register! You must be 18 years of age or older to attend.
VetBadger is offering the MHFA first aid certification course in collaboration with certified MHFA instructor Dr. Janet Hoy-Gerlach. Dr. Janet Hoy-Gerlach is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of OneHealth People-Animal Wellness Services (OHPAWS). She has extensive experience in community-based crisis intervention and suicide/lethality risk assessment and has worked with and trained animal welfare and veterinary professionals nationally and internationally. She is the lead author of Human-Animal Interaction: A Social Work Guide, a book published by the National Association of Social Workers and serves as a subject matter expert on mental health benefits of the human-animal bond for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Dr. Hoy-Gerlach is a leading expert in developing and providing services that mutually support human and animal well-being.
The course price is $170* per participant. Register for the MHFA course with Dr. Hoy-Gerlach through VetBadger for a 30% discount (cost: $120 ticket).
*$170 is the course fee set by The National Council, which is the credentialing entity for MHFA. There are often grant-funded/fully subsidized MHFA courses available that are taught by other certified instructors. Go here to locate such: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/population-focused-modules/adults/