Mental Health Awareness Month: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training Gives Student Pharmacists the Necessary Skills to Aid in a Mental Health Crisis

Part of the required curriculum for those in the UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences’ Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training offers student pharmacists knowledge on how to help someone who is in the midst of a mental health crisis or developing a mental health or substance use problem. Through the training, which includes working with sample cases, student pharmacists learn how to identify the signs of mental health and substance use issues and how to support and provide resources to a person who may be experiencing such issues.

MHFA training in the UCI School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences is facilitated by Dr. Farah Khorassani, health sciences associate clinical professor and PHMD203F course coordinator and instructor, and Dr. Erin Knox, Director of Experiential Pharmacy Education and second cohort instructor. Co-instructors of the program include Megan Enciso, Director of Student Affairs and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Initiatives in the UCI Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing and Dr. Negar Shekarabi, Faculty/Staff Mental Health Care Coordinator for the UCI Counseling Center.

“Mental Health First Aid equips individuals with invaluable skills that are applicable both personally and professionally, fostering resilience and support in everyday life, clinical settings, and workplaces,” said Dr. Khorassani.

In addition to providing MHFA training to UCI student pharmacists, Dr. Khorassani and Dr. Knox offer the course to practicing community pharmacists and student pharmacists with an interest in psychiatric pharmacy across California. Dr. Knox has also provided MHFA training sponsored by the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, of which Dr. Knox and Dr. Khorassani are both members.

“As an instructor for MHFA, I am positioned to be on the front lines of helping train the UCI community in effectively supporting our friends, family members, and patients who may be experiencing mental health challenges,” Dr. Knox stated.

Dr. Knox received a grant from the UC Equity in Mental Health Initiative in 2023 to support MHFA instructor training for two UCI student pharmacists, Loan Le and Busola Oladeru, who became certified MHFA instructors in Spring 2024. During their last year in the PharmD program, Le and Oladeru will co-instruct MHFA courses.

“I can use my training to help de-escalate a mental health challenge, provide relevant resources, or seek assistance from other medical providers if a person is experiencing a mental health emergency,” said Oladeru. “It is particularly important for me to become comfortable doing these tasks, as I plan to work with populations of people who are diagnosed with mental health conditions in my APPE rotations, residency, and as a future Board-Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist.”

Le hopes MHFA courses will encourage communities to have more open conversations about mental health and will give people tools to help those around them.

She shared, “The Mental Health First Aid instructor training has significantly improved my confidence and equipped me with the knowledge and skills to provide support and resources to someone experiencing mental health challenges. The training allows me to model an open and non-judgmental approach, helping those who struggle to be heard and understood by being mindful of their stories. I am advocating for increased awareness of common mental health issues and helping to train participants to effectively support their friends, family members, and people who are in need.”