MIAG Training Unit
MIAG's Training Unit (MTU) stands as our fee-for-service professional development training wing, guided by our seasoned staff with extensive expertise in community development. Our workshops are designed to keep you and your team up to speed with new and relevant skills, ensuring that you stay current in your field. These hands-on and interactive workshops go beyond traditional learning methods. They provide practical experiences, interactive sessions, and include comprehensive handouts and resources to enhance your learning. Upon the successful completion of each training set, participants will be awarded a Certificate of Completion.
By engaging in MTU workshops, you are not only acquire valuable knowledge and skills but also contribute directly to supporting local communities in need. All proceeds generated from these workshops play a crucial role in advancing our non-profit initiatives, creating a symbiotic relationship between professional development and community empowerment.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Essentials
What we are providing
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) provides practical skills to recognize and respond to mental health and substance use challenges until professional support is available.
This evidence-based program promotes early intervention, self-care, and supportive communities worldwide.
What You will Learn
- Recognize early signs of mental health challenges
- Respond with empathy and confidence
- Connect individuals to appropriate supports
- Maintain personal well-being
- Respond to mental health and substance use crises
Who Should Attend
Open to anyone 18+. No prior experience required.
Ideal for service providers, educators, frontline staff, community workers, caregivers, and individuals supporting mental well-being.
Group bookings (10+) and flexible scheduling available. Online and in-person delivery offered, per your request.
Training Format
Delivered by Certified Trainer Solinas Elgamal
1-day | Non-certification | Practical & interactive
Next Session: June 17, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Online via Zoom
Training Fee
MIAG Members $180 | MIAG Non-members $225 | Students $180
For more information or any inquiries, reach out to us:
Email: solinas@miag.ca.
Tel: +1 437 220-6659
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Certification
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
MHFA Certification equips participants with advanced knowledge and practical skills to support individuals experiencing mental health or substance use challenges, until professional help is available.
This internationally recognized program strengthens confidence, reduces stigma, and enhances the ability to respond effectively in crises. MHFA is delivered in over 35 countries with more than 8 million participants worldwide.
What You will Learn
- Recognize and respond to declining mental health and crisis situations
- Engage in supportive, compassionate conversations
- Connect individuals to professional or community resources
- Maintain personal well-being while helping others
- Deepen understanding of mental health disorders and influences
- Improve confidence and reduce stigma
Who Should Attend
Open to anyone 18+. No prior training required.
Recommended for service providers, educators, frontline staff, community workers, caregivers, and individuals supporting mental well-being.
Group bookings (10+) and flexible scheduling available. Training is offered online or in-person.
Training Format
Delivered by Certified Trainer Solinas Elgamal
Two-Day Training | Certification | Scenario-Based & Interactive
Next Session: March 12 & 13, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Online via Zoom
Program Fee
MIAG Members $225 | MIAG Non-members $290 | Students $250
For more information or any inquiries, reach out to us:
Email: solinas@miag.ca.
Tel: +1 437 220-6659
Trauma-Informed Approaches for Service Providers
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe how trauma affects the brain, body, and behaviour across age groups.
- Recognize common trauma responses and differentiate them from behavioural challenges.
- Apply trauma-informed communication strategies that foster safety and reduce escalation.
- Identify practices that may unintentionally re-traumatize clients and adopt safer alternatives.
- Use brief grounding and self-regulation micro-skills to support clients during distress.
- Integrate culturally responsive and socially just principles when supporting diverse populations.
April 9, 2026
Online
Between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM
Cost: FREE
Prerequisites: Only MIAG members are eligible to take this course.
For more information, please contact:
Solinas Elgamal
Certified Facilitator
Email: solinas@miag.ca.
Tel: +1 437 220-6659
To know more about been a MIAG Member click here
Mental Health Literacy for Service Providers
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Distinguish between mental health, mental distress, and mental illness.
- Identify signs of common mental health challenges across community settings.
- Respond to early signs of distress with empathy, boundaries, and professional clarity.
- Use basic de-escalation approaches to support clients experiencing overwhelm.
- Recognize when a client requires referral and navigate that process confidently.
- Understand how stigma, cultural narratives, and migration experiences influence help-seeking.
April 16, 2026
Online
Between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM
Cost: FREE
Prerequisites: Only MIAG members are eligible to take this course.
For more information, please contact:
Solinas Elgamal
Certified Facilitator
Email: solinas@miag.ca.
Tel: +1 437 220-6659
To know more about been a MIAG Member click here
Stress Management, Burnout Prevention & Vicarious Trauma
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify indicators of chronic stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma.
- Understand how the nervous system responds to prolonged exposure to others' trauma.
- Apply practical grounding and self-regulation tools to maintain steadiness during high-demand moments.
- Strengthen professional boundaries that reduce overload and enhance effectiveness.
- Develop personalized strategies for sustainable well-being in helping roles.
- Recognize workplace and systemic factors that contribute to burnout and advocate for supportive practices.
April 23, 2026
Online
Between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM
Cost: FREE
Prerequisites: Only MIAG members are eligible to take this course.
For more information, please contact:
Solinas Elgamal
Certified Facilitator
Email: solinas@miag.ca.
Tel: +1 437 220-6659
To know more about been a MIAG Member click here
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
A powerful 2-day Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) that equips you with the confidence and tools to support someone at risk of suicide.
This internationally recognized program by LivingWorks offers hands-on, practical training to help you recognize warning signs, engage in meaningful dialogue, and guide individuals toward safety and healing.
Ideal for healthcare professionals, educators, counsellors, youth workers, social workers, first responders, and all caring community members.
Facilitator: Yasmine Behiry
(Certified Trainer)
Group booking only.
Please contact
Yasmine Behiry at yasmine@miag.ca
or call us (905) 270 6252
CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention
Description: The CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (3rd Edition) course prepares participants to effectively prevent and de-escalate medium to high-risk behaviors using non-restrictive methods. Designed for individuals working in the shelter, housing, and homelessness sectors, this course is taught by CPI Certified Instructors who follow the Toronto Shelter Standards hands-off policy. We do NOT teach physical holds, and this will be recorded on your Blue Card and in the CPI database.
The course introduces the Crisis Development Model, a proprietary 4-step process for turning crises into opportunities for positive outcomes, and the Decision-Making Matrix, which helps create objective responses to behaviourshigh-risk behavior. Participants will also explore the effects of trauma and brain psychology on both the person in crisis and the responder. The training emphasizes verbal de-escalation strategies and disengagement techniques.
Learning Objectives
- Understand and apply the Crisis Development Model to manage crisis situations.
- Use the Decision-Making Matrix to plan objective responses to high-risk behaviors.
- Identify and explore the effects of trauma and brain psychology on individuals in crisis.
- Apply verbal de-escalation strategies to prevent escalation of crisis situations.
- Demonstrate disengagement techniques to safely manage crisis situations.
Learning Outcomes
- Be able to assess and respond to medium to high-risk behaviors using non-restrictive, non-physical methods.
- Effectively use verbal de-escalation strategies to diffuse potential crises.
- Be equipped to safely disengage from high-risk situations while prioritizing safety for all involved.
- Have a better understanding of trauma and its effect on individuals in crisis and on responders.
- Gain the ability to use evidence-based techniques that reduce staff injuries, suspensions, and improve staff retention.
Instructor: Yasmine Behiry
Next trainning dates:
Online Friday March 13 and In-person Saturday March 14 2026
Target Group: All
Prerequisites: Only MIAG members are eligible to take this course.
To know more about been a MIAG Member click here
Validity (Certification Timeline): One (1) year
Disclaimer:
This course includes physical elements, specifically disengagement techniques. Participants must be able to physically complete these disengagements to receive certification. If your organization requires training on physical holds, it is recommended to have your own CPI Certified Instructor to ensure that staff are properly trained on physical interventions. The course does not teach restrictive holds, and any reference to physical holds will be clearly noted on your Blue Card and in the CPI database.
Self-paced modules must be completed no later than 24 business hours prior to the live in-person session.
The benefits of being a MIAG member
MIAG members enjoy exclusive FREE to all MTU SIGNATURE workshops,
training session, access to member-only training and more!
Explore the full array of member perks at the link below
* By purchasing any MTU workshop/training, you agree to participate fully and acknowledge that your payment is non-refundable. If, for any reason, you are unable to participate at the registered time, you may transfer your enrollment to another program before the year ends. If the new workshop/training costs less, no refunds will be issued, but the difference can be applied as a discount toward another workshop /training within the same year.
