Mental Health First Response Certificate

Become a Leader & Advocate with Mental Health First Responder Training

Take an individual course or work toward earning a certificate with multiple courses!

In much the same way that traditional first aid is designed to save the life of a person in crisis, Mental Health First Response focuses on saving lives by recognizing the emotional distress, depression and other issues impacting students.

This certificate program is designed to give educators the tools they need to make an impact in their schools — particularly with regard to issues that are increasingly leading to suicide, violence and harm to self or others when not appropriately addressed in a timely manner.

Teachers and administrators will learn the skills necessary to make appropriate referrals and respond to emotional, mental and social issues within the school setting. Our mental health certificate program will empower educators to become mental health first responders.

Mental Health Training for Educators Certificate Requirements

Complete the requirements below to earn a professional Mental Health First Response Certificate. The certificate can be completed in as few as 6 months. Learn more about the University of San Diego’s Professional and Continuing Education Certificate Benefits and Policies.

• Complete 5 core courses (11 units)

Learning Method Information

Online Self-Paced

Our online self-paced courses are similar to online fixed-date courses, but are designed to give you a six-month period from time of enrollment to complete all assignments. Your instructor will provide feedback via written responses on your assignments and exams. Grades are based on completed projects, assignments and exams.

How is the self-paced course structured? Like fixed-date courses, online self-paced courses are asynchronous meaning that you can work on your assignments anytime; the difference being there are no assigned due dates in self-paced courses. The content is divided into learning modules. Each module will cover one or more topics. Within each of the learning modules, you can expect the following components:

• Module introduction that outlines what you can expect to learn in the module.
• Required readings (textbook, articles, journals, websites, etc.) and presentations (audio and/or video).
• Assignments (which may include: written assignments, quizzes, blogs, etc.) based on the readings and presentations.
• Module conclusion to review the topics and what you should have learned.
• Typically, there is a final project, paper, or exam due in the last module that culminates all of the topics covered in each of the learning modules. You’ll find that the design of the learning modules has a rhythm to help you manage your time in the course.

Mental Health Certificate Curriculum 

Enroll in individual courses of your choice within the series to earn graduate level extension credits. We recommend that you start with Introduction to Mental Health First Response first, and then the remaining courses in any order. For more information about our mental health first response certificate courses, please refer to the schedule and list of courses at the top of the page.

Benefits

Among the many benefits of our mental health first response certificate program, participants who complete one or all of the courses will be equipped to:

• Identify signs and symptoms of mental health distress among children and to make appropriate and timely referrals
• Take a proactive stance at your school, by implementing mental health prevention approaches and/or services to students in need
• Have a plan for school-based mental health triage based on the nature, severity and immediacy of the required response to students in crisis
• Be able to determine the fiscal, legal, ethical and personal impact from mental health first response initiatives in the school setting
• Have strategies in place to proceed after a school-based trauma, including re-entry and transition planning
• Create a safe and responsive school or classroom that meets the needs of those impacted by mental health problems

Instructors

Professional development courses offered by the University of San Diego’s Division of Professional & Continuing Education are taught by faculty that possess a depth and breadth of academic and real-world professional experience.

Frequently Asked Questions