compelling stories, ethically told.
Education + Training
Are you looking to enhance your approach to mental health within your creative domain? Our courses are tailored to enrich mental health practices in the entertainment industry, equipping you with a comprehensive toolbox, a wider network, and increased confidence for addressing mental health in your creative endeavors. Designed to benefit both seasoned professionals and aspiring students in theatre and film, our coursework is now more accessible and adaptable than before.
Please note that all workshops offer scaled pricing. We invite you to self-select a ticket price with an understanding that our lowest priced tickets are intended for BIPOC and Trans individuals. Payment plans are available upon request. Email info@associationmhc.com for more information.
Not sure where to start? We've got you!
First, take a look at our training pathway for a roadmap through offerings, pre-requisites, and other info -- keep in mind that many of our courses stand alone even if you aren't interested in certification!
Then, join us for an Info Session, a free meet-up with AMHC leadership and community to get some answers to your questions about hiring, training to become, and studying with mental health coordinators, taking place every other month:
The entertainment industry is a unique work environment. The highs are so high and the lows are… well, they can be really low. Research tells us that creative professionals are at a higher risk of mental health concerns and we’re doing everything we can to change that, starting with Mental Health First Aid for the Entertainment Industry.
Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to assist and support others who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge.
This evidence-based, early-intervention course, administered virtually by AMHC President Amanda Edwards and certified by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing,uses industry-specific scenarios, activities and videos to teach the skills needed to recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges as well as how to provide initial support until they are connected with appropriate professional help.
What It Covers
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Common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges.
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Common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges.
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How to interact with a person in crisis.
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How to connect a person with help.
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Expanded content on trauma, substance use and self-care specifically for folks in creative workspaces.
For successful certification, participants are required by NCMW to be present via Zoom, to participate for the full duration of the workshop, and to prepare 2 hours of pre-work before the start of the live class as well as a comprehension quiz and evaluation afterwards.
Registration for all MHFA workshops will close 7 days prior to the workshop. There are no refunds or exchanges for this workshop. Space is limited by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing (NCMW) to ensure the best experience for participants.
This certification is granted through the National council for Mental Wellbeing and is not an AMHC certification. It is specific to the United States and is open only to those aged 18 and up.
CONTENT DISCLOSURE: This training deals with sensitive content including suicide, self-harm, violence, aggression, substance misuse, overdose, psychosis, depression, anxiety, and occasionally eating disorders.
Returning August '25
AMHC’s Core Curriculum focuses on our core values and wisdom gleaned from decades of experience in both the mental health and entertainment worlds. It follows a three-part structure including individual experience, interpersonal dynamics, and the macro structures in our industry.
Our focus starts with safety as the building block of ethical and compelling creativity. If you’ve ever wondered, “What does a safe space even look like,” this is where you’ll find some answers as we consider this term from a biological, social, systemic, and embodied perspective.
We then examine the macro: systemic issues in policies and protocols across creative industries, common pitfalls in creative spaces, and better practices for supporting psychological safety and brilliant storytelling. Finally, we explore ways to hold conflict as a healthy part of the collaboration process. This is an opportunity to recognize patterns in your past experiences, examine your own tendencies, and build skills in conflict resolution.
Offered 3-4 times a year.
Returning August '25
No events at the moment
Building on the skills and values present in our Core Curriculum, this 6-week course explores direct applications of the Core framework in your creative workspace. Whether you are a theatre professor looking to more confidently support student mental health, or a film director getting ready to direct a challenging short, feature, or series, you’ll find the tools you need here!
Our Foundations cohorts are made up of passionate directors, stage managers, ICs and IDs, educators, mental health practitioners and more from around the world. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn with and from some of the most innovative creatives in our industry as we embark on the task of creating the salutogenic environments we all deserve to work in.
Topics Include:
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Advanced Container Practice for Challenging Stories
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Applications of our co-regulation tool, aka AGNC
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Advanced Conflict Navigation
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Proactive Policies for Holistic and Boundaried Workplaces
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Naming a Scope of Practice, Generating Referrals, and Guiding Creative Change
Participants in this course will also gain access to our online education portal, which is used by instructors to share resources and class information, as well as class recordings which will be available up to 30 days after the final session.
Pre-Requisites:
Core Curriculum, with successful exit surveys.
Offered 1-2 times a year.
Returning Autumn '25
This is a ten-week certification program to train mental health professionals and entertainment artists in tools to support creative, ethical storytelling, including content notes, crisis management, access needs, interpersonal facilitation, and much more.
This training is designed for those who wish to work as mental health coordinators, mental health professionals who are passionate about transforming the culture of the entertainment industry, and/or creative leaders who interact with mental health challenges in their spaces (either with their colleagues or in depiction).
If you’re interested in working as a Mental Health Coordinator, this is where you need to be! You’ll build a toolkit of knowledge of diagnoses and their portrayal as well as therapeutic skills to support cast and crew members with their mental and emotional wellbeing in a variety of creative workspaces. From film to theatre, documentaries to academia, participants are prepared to market themselves and begin working right away.
Culminating in a capstone project with mentorship from AMHC President Amanda Edwards, successful completion of this program results in certification as a professional Mental Health Coordinator.
This program is by application only, with Core Curriculum and Foundations of Mental Health Coordinating as pre-requisites*. It is offered annually.
The Details
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10 weeks on Saturdays from mid-May to early August (skipping some weeks).
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Pricing is tiered and will range from $1500 (intended for BIPOC, Trans folks, and/or People with Disabilities) to $3500.
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There will be 2 scholarship slots and 2 work study (TA duties with reduced tuition cost) positions available.
Returning 2026
Please note the lowest priced ticket option is intended for BIPOC, Trans folks, and/or People with Disabilities. Payment plans are available upon request.
Email info@associationmhc.com for more information.
Upcoming Events
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