Participants must be at least 16 years of age and Canadian residents.

Participants each need a strong internet connection, webcam, and microphone. Worksheets can be printed ahead of time, but are always available in their profile on the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s website.

Participants each need to have their own device – virtual training cannot be done with all participants in one boardroom or classroom, for example.

The course is delivered in three modules:

Self-directed online module (approx 2 hours) Live online session with an instructor (4 hours) Live online session with an instructor (4 hours) Access to module 1 will be given two weeks prior to the first live session. Each participant must complete module 1 forward the proof they receive from the Mental Health Commission of Canada to our coordinator no later than 3 days ahead of the first live session.

Participants who do not complete module 1 in time will not be permitted to join the live portion of the course.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada strongly recommends that the two live sessions take place on different days as some of the content can be mentally and emotionally taxing.

Taking time between the sessions allows participants to reflect on the content and to bring questions to the second session.

The live section of the course includes instruction, breakout groups, scenarios, and sharing experiences. Your instructor ensures a safe space for sharing, asking questions, and discussion.

Upon completion of the course, you will be certified by the Mental Health Commission of Canada in Mental Health First Aid – Supporting Youth. MHCC recommends recertifying every two years.

An in-person version of this course is available, with notable differences:

1. The in-person course is two full days of 7 hours each

2. Groups for in-person need a minimum of 12 and can have a maximum of 25

3. The in-person course is taught through a medical lens – with more emphasis put on disorders and their signs & symptoms – where the virtual course is the MHCC’s newest version that is taught through a recovery lens. This means its focus is more on connecting with a young person, opening up the lines of trust and communication, and how to guide them toward appropriate help and support. The virtual course also includes a strong focus on self-care when supporting a young person with their mental health. The MHCC is currently adapting the in-person course to be delivered through the recovery lens – it is expected to be available later in 2022.

4. While we do have instructors across Canada, if they are not local to you, their travel costs will be the client’s responsibility.

All of our instructors have been certified by the Mental Health Commission of Canada to deliver this course. Requirements to apply as a instructor include extensive personal and/or professional background in working with people who have mental health problems.

Each of our instructors brings their own unique life experience to their classes so please discuss any specific concerns or issues you’re currently dealing with (ie. substance use issues, eating disorders/disordered eating, suicide, etc).

Groups need a minimum of ten people and can have a maximum of 15.

What if we have greater than 15 people? Because we work with a vast network of instructors, we can easily accommodate large teams in concurrent groups of ten to 15 participants.

Alternatively, anyone who isn’t able to join with the group can take the course on one of the open registration sessions listed on our site.

Members of your team who attend an open session will be eligible for your group rate, and can be included on your invoice

We offer open registration courses on our website for individuals and smaller groups can participate.

The Mental Health Commission has only one requirement regarding scheduling the live sessions – they must take place within two weeks of each other.

Within that guideline, we can accommodate any date/time combination that suits you and your team. We have instructors all across the country who are available for weekdays, evenings, weekends, or any combination thereof.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada requires that participants complete both modules 2 and 3 with the same group and instructor. If a participant misses one of the live sessions, they will need to restart the course with a new group.

They will be able to register as an individual for any of the open sessions listed on our site. Your group rate will apply to their new session dates.

We need only three pieces of information for each participant: name, email address, and phone number.

(Phone number will only be used in the cases that: someone is having tech difficulties joining the live session; by our coordinator as a last resort if a participants module 1 has not yet been submitted; or by our moderator if a participant suddenly leaves a live session so they can reach out and make sure they’re alright.)

If participants will not be registering with company-owned email addresses, to be compliant with the CRTC’s CASL rules, a landing page will be set up by The Expert Talk and participants will simply have to submit their name, email, and phone number to confirm their participation.

All pre-course communications will come from The Expert Talk, including reminders to complete module 1, and the zoom links for the live sessions. We also have an MHFA coordinator who is available to assist participants with accessing module 1 and to provide any other help they may need.

Individual access codes are purchased from the Mental Health Commission of Canada ahead of the scheduled course and are issued to registrants two (2) weeks ahead of the first live training date. This is the “access code date”.

If the access code date is fewer than 90 days away, payment in full is due immediately to secure the dates.

If the access code date is greater than 90 days out, a deposit of 50% is due immediately and then the remaining balance is due at 60 days out.

Payments not received on or before this schedule may result in a course cancellation without refund of any deposits or expenses incurred.

A strict minimum of 8 registrants in attendance is required for an MHFA course to run. This includes situations where “no-shows” decrease the class attendance to below 8 persons.

Due to the class size and course requirements of MHFA, as set by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, there are no withdrawals, including “no shows”, permitted for MHFA. Full fee applies once registered.

Substitutions:

Once on-line access to module 1 has been granted, no substitutions are permitted.

Before on-line access has been granted, a registrant may substitute their spot.

To switch registrants, a $25 + HST fee applies. New registrant must complete on-line module 1 prior to class learning.

Rescheduling:

Group bookings can be rescheduled. Written notice must be given prior to 30 days from the scheduled course (access code date). The applicable fee paid (due upfront) will be held and used for the future booking. Once access codes are issued, no reschedules are permitted.

Please note: due to class size requirements, individual registrations cannot be rescheduled.

If rescheduling does not happen before the expiry of the codes (12 months) it is the responsibility of the client to pay for the purchase of the new codes for the rescheduled date.

If one or more individuals from a group booking do not show, the fee for those individuals’ registrations is non-refundable. While The Expert Talk will send instructional and reminder emails to registrants ahead of the live sessions, it is the responsibility of the client to ensure all registrants are in attendance.

Per the Canada Revenue Agency, courses that maintain, upgrade, or update your existing skills or qualifications that relate to your employment can be deducted as employment expenses.

Be sure to confirm with your accountant if this course will meet your specific eligibility requirements.