 The training sessions, which are a condensed version of the eight-hour-long certification, include information on mental health crisis resources and responders. The Overdose Response Center's Brent Wanninger says mental health first aid training is a lot like CPR training. It's the same thing as CPR. We can train a whole lot of people to intervene early on where it can make a difference while waiting for a higher level of care to arrive. It's not putting them in a situation where they're by themselves and they're on their own.