Mental Health Resource Hub

Youth Mental Health First Aid

In partnership with Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care, we are proud to offer free Youth Mental Health First Aid courses to adults living in King County. This training is provided for residents or individuals who work within the geographic boundary of King County, Washington. If you do not live or work in King County, Washington, and are interested in training, please visit the National Council for Mental Wellbeing website to find trainings in your area. 

This is a free, two-part virtual class for adults who regularly interact with youth age 12 through 18. Part one is a self-guided course and part two is a live instructor-led course.

Class participants will gain skills on how to help an adolescent in crisis or who is experiencing a mental health challenge. Similar to traditional first aid and CPR, mental health first aid is help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis before they can get professional treatment or the crisis resolves.

In this class, students will learn about:

  • Common mental health challenges for youth
  • Adolescent development
  • How to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations
  • Risk factors and warning signs of mental illness and addiction
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Substance use
  • Disorders in which psychosis may occur
  • Available treatment options

Why We Are Offering This Class

Seattle Children’s recognizes that anyone can make a difference in the life of an adolescent struggling with mental health or substance use issues. We aim to provide tools and education to help people recognize signs of mental health challenges, and to support and respond to youth in distress.

We offer this class with generous support from Chad’s Legacy Project and King County taxpayers who approved the MIDD Behavioral Health Sales Tax. Proceeds from that tax support this training and the King County Behavioral Health Recovery Division.

Class Format

Part one

Part one of this class is self-guided. Approximately two weeks prior to the virtual class, you will receive an email with a link for the self-guided course. This course must be completed before the date of the live class. The self-guided course takes an average of two hours to complete.

Part two

Part two of this class is live and instructor-led. It takes place virtually via Zoom from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The date you register for is the date of the live instructor-led course.

View Upcoming Classes and Register Online

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where are the Youth Mental Health First Aid classes held?

    Part one of the course is a self-guided two-hour module to be completed before part two of the course. Part two is delivered with live instructors virtually via Zoom.

  • How do I change or cancel a class?

    You can cancel a class or change to a new date up to 3 days before the class. Just sign in to your registration profile to change an existing registration.

    View space availability for upcoming Youth Mental Health First Aid classes.

  • If a class is full, is there a waiting list option?

    Yes, there is an option to waitlist yourself for a class during the registration process.

  • Will there be any type of continuing education credit available for completing this class?

    No. Participants will receive a certificate of completion, as well as a booklet to take home.