Youth MHFA is an early intervention public education program. It teaches adults who work with youth how to recognize the signs and symptoms that suggesta potential mental health or substance use problem, how to listen nonjudgmentally and give reassurance to a person who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use problem, and how to refer a person to appropriate professional support and services.

MHFA was created in Australia in 200o by Betty Kitchener, an educator and mental health consumer, and Professor Tony Jorm, a mental health researcher. In 2008, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health brought MHFA to the United States. The Youth MHFA curriculum was brought to the United States in 2012.

A number of MHFA courses and manuals have been developed to suit the needs of specific populations within the United States. The training courses are designed to teach people how to approach, assess, and assist a person who may be in the early stages of developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. Youth MHFA is best suited for adults who work with youth aged 12-18.