Mental Health First Aid
for Everyone
Practical Do's and Don'ts for Real Life
A quick guide for parents, teachers, community responders, and friends. Simple tools to notice, calm, and connect — and to know when to escalate.
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Core Ideas
- Behavior has a context. Often you are seeing overwhelm, not malice.
- Stay calm and empathize. Reducing intensity and offering understanding often facilitates clarity of mind.
- Validation is not agreement. Acknowledge their experience without declaring it “true.”
- Safety first. If there is imminent risk, escalate.
ADHD – impulsivity and filtering
Snapshot
- Core issue: difficulty catching impulses fast enough.
- May look hyperactive or “spaced out.” The throughline is impulse control.
- Move to a quieter area; reduce people and noise.
- Calm, steady tone. One ask at a time. Offer simple choices.
- Structure the environment to reduce distractions.
- Crowding, rapid-fire instructions, public corrections.
- Interpreting impulsive behavior as calculated disrespect.
Autism Spectrum – Social Understanding
Snapshot
- Core issue: gaps in the “social rulebook,” especially in the moment.
- Walk through “what just happened” in concrete steps after things cool.
- Give clear expectations and alternatives; role-play new responses.
- Use visuals and specific language rather than vague advice.
- Vague guidance like “be nicer” or “use common sense.”
- Assuming time alone will fix it without explicit coaching.
Anxiety – Normal Alarm vs Disorder
In the moment
- Normalize: “Your body’s alarm is loud. You’re safe. I’m here.”
- Breathing reset: slow belly breaths — in 4, hold 4, out 6.
- Tension-release: clench fists to level 5 for 5 seconds, release ×3.
- Grounding: 5–4–3–2–1 senses scan.
- Use a steady refrain: “Remember what we already said. You are safe.”
- Avoid feeding endless “but what if…” loops.
Depression – low mood, energy, and drive
What to look for
- Loss of interest, isolation, sleep/appetite changes.
- Decline in daily functioning; self-harm behaviors.
- Small activations: light, water, snack, short walk, brief social check-in.
- Invite healthy sparks; avoid numbing strategies as “solutions.”
ALGEE – Mental Health First Aid
ALGEE steps
- A – Approach, assess, assist in any crisis; scan for safety.
- L – Listen non-judgmentally: open posture, soft voice, allow silences.
- G – Give reassurance & information: early, brief, and calming.
- E – Encourage professional help: counselor, PCP, referral.
- E – Encourage other supports: family, school, faith, routines.
Pocket card
Download a 1-page ALGEE card to keep in your wallet or post in staff spaces.
Download ALGEE Card
Tactical empathy – your fastest de-escalation
How to do it
- Reflect: “So what you’re saying is…” (use your own words).
- Name the emotion: “That sounds scary and exhausting.”
- Check: “Am I getting that right?”
- Invite: “What would help right now?”
- “Makes sense your body hit the alarm after what you saw.”
- “Part of you wants out, and part wants relief. That tug-of-war is real.”
- If asked to agree: “Let me understand clearly first so we can pick the next best step.”
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