Be the person who knows

what to do.

One-day, In-person Mental Health First Aid Training

$0

cost to attend (typically $250+)

30

seats per
Foundations session

Kenosha Innovation Center (KIN)

5522 26th Ave, Kenosha, WI 53140

Time

8:30–4:30
Breakfast and Lunch Provided

Adult Track

Tuesday,
September 15

Youth Track

Tuesday,
September 22

Video
Brought to you by
  • Hope Council · 50+ years in Kenosha County
  • Funded by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services
  • Certified Mental Health First Aid curriculum
Brought to you by
  • Hope Council · 50+ years in Kenosha County
  • Funded by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services
  • Certified Mental Health First Aid curriculum
Why this matters

1 in 5

U.S. adults will experience a mental health challenge this year.

The person most likely to notice isn’t a clinician. It’s you.

The first person to notice that someone is struggling is almost never a therapist. It’s a teacher who sees a student go quiet. A supervisor who watches a steady employee start to slip. A coach who can tell something’s off before practice. A friend at church. A neighbor.

Mental Health First Aid prepares everyday people to recognize what they’re seeing, have the conversation, and connect someone to help. Evidence-based. Used in 25+ countries. Built on the same idea as CPR: the fastest way to save a life is to train the people nearby.

This summer, Hope Council is bringing it to Kenosha County at no cost to participants.

What you’ll learn

Practical skills you can use the same week you finish.

Across one day, you will learn the ALGEE action plan – a five-step framework you can apply the next time someone in your life is not okay.

You’ll practice with real-world scenarios from workplaces, schools, families, and communities. You’ll leave with a national certification, a wallet card, and the confidence to act when it matters.

No clinical background required

No tests

No clinical background required

No tests

What You'll Learn
Two Paths

Start with one day.

Continue if it lights you up.

Everyone starts the same way with the one-day Foundations course. From there, a subset will want to bring this training back to their own organization. We have fully funded that next step too.

TWO PATHS

1
Foundations

Everyone starts here

2
Train-the-Trainer

Optional

Parallel tracks:
Adult / Youth

ONE-DAY COURSE • 30 SEATS PER SESSION
Start Here

Foundations

The one-day Mental Health First Aid certification course.

Who it's for Anyone who works with or cares about people

What you become A better manager, leader, and human being

Cost to you $0 - typical retail: $250+

Adult MHFA Foundations

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Youth MHFA Foundations

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

THREE-DAY PROGRAM • 16 SEATS
Next Step

THREE-DAY PROGRAM • 16 SEATS

Train-the-Trainer

Bring this training back to your school, workplace, agency, or congregation.

Pre-Requisite MHFA Foundations Certification

Who it's for People who will teach MHFA at their org

What you become A certified MHFA Instructor

Cost to you $0 - typical retail: $2,000+

Adult Focus: 
October 13–15, 2026

Youth Focus: 
November 17–19, 2026

Venue

Kenosha Innovation Center (KIN)

5522 26th Ave, Kenosha, WI 53140

Schedule

8:30 AM – 4:30 PM with breaks. Continental breakfast at 8:00 AM. Lunch on us.

Format

In person only. Mental Health First Aid is best learned with other humans in the room

Adult or Youth

Same skills, different audiences.

Each track runs as its own pair: one Foundations day, then a Train-the-Trainer three-day. Pick the track that matches the people you spend your days with.

Adult Focus
Adult MHFA

1 Foundations + 1 Trainer session in 2026

1 Foundations + 1 Trainer session in 2026

Adult Focus

For people whose work or life puts them alongside other adults – managers, HR teams, healthcare workers, clergy, social-service staff, family caregivers, peer supporters, civic leaders.

Youth Focus
Youth MHFA

1 Foundations + 1 Trainer session in 2026

1 Foundations + 1 Trainer session in 2026

Youth Focus

For people who work with kids and teens ages 12-18 – teachers, coaches, youth pastors, school counselors, parents, after-school staff, juvenile-justice and child-welfare workers.

Not sure?

Pick the one closest to who you spend your days with. You can always come back for the other – the full schedule repeats in 2027.

Who should be there

If you work with people, this is for you.

We built this cohort to look like our community. We’re actively recruiting:

  • Educators and school staff 
(K-12, post-secondary)
  • Faith communities and clergy
  • Social-service and case-management staff
  • Family caregivers and peer supporters
  • Healthcare professionals and front-desk teams
  • Coaches, youth workers, after-school program staff
  • Nonprofit leaders and board members
  • Employers, HR leaders, and people managers
  • Law enforcement, fire, EMS, and dispatch
  • Civic groups and neighborhood organizers

If your role is not on this list and you are still wondering whether it is for you – it is for you. Sign up and we will confirm fit.

What you’ll walk away with

It’s one day. Here’s what stays with you.

National certification

Valid for three years through National Council For Mental Wellbeing.

A wallet card

The ALGEE framework, with you wherever you go.

National certification

Valid for three years through National Council For Mental Wellbeing.

Breakfast & lunch

It’s a long day. We feed you well – coffee all day.

A local network

~30 fellow first-aiders across Kenosha County.

A clear next step

If you want to teach this to your people, we’ve got you.

Reserve your seat

Let’s get you in the room.

We’ll confirm your seat within two business days. Required fields are marked with *

Questions before you sign up?

Email michelle@hopecouncil.org

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

1ABOUT YOU

2WHICH COHORT?

WHICH COHORT*
Interested in the 3-day Train-the-Trainer program?*

3DAY-OF LOGISTICS

We'll never share your info or contact your employer.

Questions, answered

The most common ones, up front.

Anyone who works with, cares for, or interacts with people. This includes educators, parents, healthcare professionals, HR teams, managers, coaches, clergy, first responders, nonprofit staff, social workers, peer supporters, youth leaders, caregivers, and community members. If you’re wondering whether this training is for you, it probably is.

Yes. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has fully funded both the Foundations training (a $250 value) and the Train-the-Trainer program (a $2,000+ value per instructor) through the end of 2027. There is no cost to participants and no cost to your employer.

No. Mental Health First Aid is designed for everyday people. No prior experience or clinical training is required. About 70% of certified First Aiders nationally come from non-clinical roles.

The Foundations course is a full-day, in-person training from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Continental breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m., and lunch is provided.

No tests, no grades. You attend the full day in-person training, complete engage in a few short skill-practice scenarios with the group, and you’re certified.

Participants receive:

  • National Mental Health First Aid Certification (valid for three years)
  • Mental Health First Aid workbook
  • ALGEE Action Plan wallet card
  • Breakfast and lunch
  • Access to a network of Mental Health First Aiders across Kenosha County

The Adult course focuses on supporting adults (18+) experiencing mental health or substance use challenges.

The Youth course focuses on recognizing and supporting mental health challenges in adolescents ages 12-18 and is ideal for educators, parents, coaches, youth workers, and anyone working with teens.

QPR is a one-hour intervention focused specifically on suicide. Mental Health First Aid is broader: it covers depression, anxiety, substance use, trauma, psychosis, and crisis response — including but not limited to suicide. The two trainings complement each other well.

No. Mental Health First Aid does not train you to diagnose or provide therapy. It teaches you how to recognize warning signs, respond appropriately, and connect someone with professional resources.

Yes! After completing the Foundations course, participants may apply for Hope Council’s fully funded Train-the-Trainer program. Selected participants will become certified Mental Health First Aid instructors and bring the training back to their schools, businesses, agencies, or organizations.

We encourage it. If your organization wants to send 3+ people, email Michelle directly and we’ll do our best to keep your group in the same cohort.

Each Foundations course is limited to 30 participants, so early registration is encouraged.

Certification requires the full day participation, but if something comes up we’ll work with you to get you into the other cohort. Just call us.

No. We don’t notify anyone. The certification is yours — share it where it’s useful to you. Proof of attendance is available if requested by the participant.

We’ve been the substance-use prevention and recovery support hub in Kenosha County for more than 30 50 years. Mental health and substance use don’t live in separate silos in real life, and we don’t believe they should in our programming either.

Michelle Sandberg, Executive Director, Hope Council — michelle@hopecouncil.org

About Hope Council

For everyone. Since 1968.

Hope Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse has served Kenosha County for over 50 years. We provide prevention, education, interventions, and treatment – meeting people where they are, without judgment.

This training is funded by a multi-year grant from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services as part of our community capacity-building work.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Gradient Logo
Hope Council

hopecouncil.org

Dhswi
Wisconsin DHS

dhs.wisconsin.gov

Mentalhealthfirstaidusa
Mental Health First Aid USA

mentalhealthfirstaid.org

Kenoshaorg
City of Kenosha

kenosha.org