Mental Health First Aid

Course description

This course teaches individuals how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use challenges and how to connect people to appropriate care.

Steps to Certification

Once you are registered for this course, the instructor will send you an e-mail with a link to the Mental Health First Aid portal.
Complete the online course preparation work. This is a pre-evaluation and opinions quiz. Please complete BEFORE the in-person course.
Attend our in-person course.
Certification: Complete the online post-evaluation and final exam to receive your certification as a Mental Health First Aider, which is valid for three years.
Recertify: You will receive an email with instructions on how to take the recertification course when your certification expires.

The in-person course will consist of book work, slide presentations, and some videos. Attendees will be given a copy of Mental Health First Aid Manual Version 2.0.6 upon arrival.

Course dates and times

October 13, 2026

Date: October 13, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location and parking:
941 20th St, South Bend, IN 46615 – Student Activities Center Room 225.
Parking is available in Lot 10 adjacent to the building.
Instructors: Lt. Brian Ray & Officer Soledad Garcia
Course fee: $50 (Includes course material) Course fee is reduced for IU faculty, staff, and students.

Instructors

Lieutenant Brian Ray has served in law enforcement for more than 20 years and currently leads with the Indiana University Police Department’s Northwest Division. Prior to joining IUPD, he spent 12 years in municipal policing, including three years as Chief of Police with the New Chicago Police Department. Lt. Ray has been a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor since 2019 and remains dedicated to promoting officer wellness, mental health awareness, and community engagement.

Email Lt. Ray

Officer Soledad Garcia is currently a full-time patrol officer at the IU South Bend Campus. She has formerly been assigned to a Crisis Services Unit in St. Joseph County that focused on mental health and providing services to vulnerable populations (domestic violence, human trafficking, mental health, disability, elderly, etc). Officer Garcia's dedication to mental health services has encouraged her to continue her education and is currently a student in the Master's School of Social Work with a focus in mental health and addictions.

Email Officer Garcia

Mental Health First Aid

Course description

Steps to Certification

Course dates and times

October 13, 2026

Instructors

Lt. Brian Ray, IUPD Northwest

Officer Soledad Garcia, IUPD South Bend

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