MHWFA - Course Information & Outline (PDF)

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Mental Health Wilderness First Aid
​Upcoming Open-Enrollment Courses

Basic "101"
​Mental Health Wilderness First Aid
​(16 hour course)

Start here! 

​The Basic course offers a solid "101" level of Mental Health Wilderness First Aid training, including powerful tools to recognize, assess, and support someone experiencing a mental health challenge in remote areas. 

​Topics include anxiety, panic attack, general stress, and a brief introduction to psychological trauma: how the nervous system responds under stress, regulation of the nervous system, stages of change, psychoeducation, thought challenging, voluntary trigger exposure, and field support planning.  

Includes: 12h classroom time, 4h self-directed homework time.

Basic course dates

November Wednesday evenings
Wednesdays, November 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2025, 5-8pm Pacific Time

January Saturdays
Saturdays, January 24 & 31, 2026, 8am-3pm Pacific Time

February Thursday evenings
Thursdays, February 5, 12, 19, & 26, 2026, 5-8pm Pacific Time

March Saturdays
Saturdays, March 7 & 14, 2026, 8am-3pm Pacific Time

Heads up: Our website is currently experiencing a glitch that has deleted all our accordions, including our registration form.  I am currently working hard to get it fixed.  In the meantime, please send us an email at [email protected] to express interest in or register in an upcoming course.  Thanks folks -- Daye Hagel (October 24, 2025)

Upgrade from Basic to 40h
​Mental Health Wilderness First Aid
​(+24h course = 40 hour certification)

Expand on your skills following your Basic certification!

This course includes additional tools and in-depth discussion led by expert, field-experienced mental health counsellors in a small cohort. 

Topics include depression & mood disorders, trauma / PTSD, grief & loss, disordered eating, uncooperative clients, psychosis, self-injury, suicidal ideation, and resilience.

Includes: 18h classroom time, 6h self-directed homework time.

Available to those who have completed, or will complete, a Basic (16h) course before their Upgrade to 40h course begins.

Upgrade to 40H
​course dates

Wednesdays & Saturdays, December 2025:

• Wednesday December 3, 5-8pm Pacific Time
• Saturday December 6, 8am-3pm Pacific Time

• Wednesday December 10, 5-8pm Pacific Time, and 
• Saturday December 13, 8am-3pm Pacific Time.

Heads up: Our website is currently experiencing a glitch that has deleted all our accordions, including our registration form.  I am currently working hard to get it fixed.  In the meantime, please send us an email at [email protected] to express interest in or register in an upcoming course.  Thanks folks -- Daye Hagel (October 24, 2025)

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While registering ... order the course manual!
​Updated v.2.6 available September 2025
Now in PDF + Print options

Manuals are optional (recommended) for a MHWFA course.  They are an excellent resource, covering all Basic and Intermediate course material and more, especially as PowerPoint slides are not made available.  Manuals include assessment, skills and interventions, evacuation rubrics, field guides, forms and references. 
Topics covered: MHWFA steps, assessments, interventions, evacuation criteria, resilience, anxiety & phobia, panic attack, trauma, grief & loss, depression & mood disorders, psychosis, self-injury, and suicidal ideation, newly updated for 2025.  See table of contents for full topic list.

​Read the Introduction free online!

• 240+ pages, filled with illustrations and visual graphics.
• High quality B&W printing, spiral bound, with vinyl/poly covers and quick-reference tabs.​ ​

Register below

Open Course Registration

Recertifying? Click here

Two steps to register: 

1. Submit course registration form.                     
2. Submit payment below.

An email confirmation will be sent to you with a link to the course portal page - be sure to visit it to complete the pre-course brief assignment and reading, and ensure you have tested out your Zoom before your online course begins.

Mental Health Wilderness First Aid
Daye Hagel, M.A., C.C.C.
Salt Spring Island, B.C.

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