Safety and Injury Prevention
Youth Mental Health First Aid
This 8-hour class is for the general public who regularly interact with adolescents 12 to 18. Youth Mental Health First Aid will improve your knowledge of mental health and substance use problems, and will teach you how to connect youth with care when needed.
Students 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
- Disruptive behavior disorders
- Eating disorders
- Available treatment options
For more information on this national, evidence-based training, visit the Youth Mental Health First Aid website.
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.
Cost
$20 (includes class materials and lunch)
View Upcoming Classes and Register Online
Note: This class tends to fill quickly. We recommend that you check back weekly for newly added classes. You are welcome to add yourself to the waitlist for any listed class. To add yourself to the waitlist, go through the registration process and select the class date that you would like to be waitlisted for.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Youth Mental Health First Aid classes are held in Seattle at the Sand Point Learning Center, 5801 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105. Free parking is available.
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Class hours are typically 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (30 minute lunch included).
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Yes. There is a vegetarian and meat option available for lunch. If you have any strict dietary restrictions or allergies, please bring your own lunch. Water and coffee will also be provided. We encourage you to bring snacks for the day.
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We make every effort to avoid cancelling classes. In the event of a cancellation, we notify the class via email as early as possible, which is generally the morning of class. In addition, we will call the phone number you provided during registration. Registration staff will then email you within 1 week after the cancelled class to reschedule or issue a refund.
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You can cancel a class or change to a new date until 3 days before the class. Just sign in to your registration profile to change an existing registration. There is a small fee to cancel or change your class.
Class change fees
- At least 4 days before class: $10 fee
- 3 days before class: no refund (registration closed)
Class cancellation fees
- At least 1 week before class: $10 fee
- 4 to 6 days before class: $15 fee
- 3 days before class: no refund (registration closed)
View space availability for upcoming Youth Mental Health First Aid classes.
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Yes, there is an option to waitlist yourself for a class during the registration process.
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We offer this class with support from King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division and Chad’s Legacy Project.
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No. We use a third-party registration system, RegOnline, which requires that all payments go through their secure online payment system. This system confirms and protects your payment and guarantees that we receive funds securely.
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Scholarships are available as needed. Please contact Seattle Children’s registration line at 206-987-9878.
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No. Participants will receive a certificate of completion, as well as a booklet to take home.


