Field guide · Free CE

Free Suicide Prevention & Mental Health CE for Nurses.

Free general mental-health CE for nurses, broadly accepted toward mental-health hours. See the note below before using these for a state suicide-prevention mandate.

8 courses · Last reviewed July 23, 2026

Before you rely on these for a state mandate

The courses below are general mental-health CE. They do NOT satisfy the specific suicide-prevention training that Washington, Utah, Connecticut, and Kentucky mandate, which must come from a board-approved course (Washington requires one from its DOH model list). We could not find a genuinely free course that meets those mandates, so for the required training expect a low-cost paid option (see below). Always confirm with your board.

Required CE in 5 jurisdictions

Jump to a state page for the full requirement, hours, and acceptable provider list.

Washington Connecticut Kentucky Nevada Utah

Certificate only

Showing 8 of 8 courses

Assessing and Addressing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Free federal training on screening for, diagnosing, and managing opioid use disorder, including medications for OUD. Contact hours via CDC TRAIN.
Free CDC TRAIN account required (course WB4664R).
Varies by courseANCC (CDC jointly accredited; CE via CDC TRAIN)onlineVerified Aug 2026Certificate
Opioid PrescribingMental Health
Medscape Free Nursing CE Library
Medscape Education
Large, rotating library of free ANCC-accredited nursing CE across clinical specialties, pharmacology, and chronic-disease management. Genuinely free with an account.
Free Medscape account required; specific activities rotate and expire.
Varies by courseANCConlineVerified Jun 2026Certificate
PharmacologyMental HealthInfectious Disease
Nurse.com Free CE Catalog
Nurse.com
Rotating library of free ANCC-accredited CE designed to satisfy state contact-hour requirements. Topics include human trafficking, dementia care, pain management, mental health.
Free Nurse.com account required.
Varies by courseANCConlineVerified Jun 2026Certificate
Human TraffickingDementia CarePain ManagementMental Health
Introduction to Trauma-Informed Care
University of Minnesota School of Public Health & MDH
Free self-paced module (no fee) produced with the Minnesota Department of Health; awards 0.75 contact hours on trauma-informed care fundamentals.
Awards general contact hours / CEU rather than ANCC nursing NCPD. Minnesota's Board does not pre-approve providers; the licensee determines whether an activity meets the CE requirement. Registration on learning.umn.edu required.
0.75 contact hoursUniversity of Minnesota (CEU / contact hours)onlineVerified Aug 2026CertificateMN only
Trauma-Informed CareMental Health
Cultivating Safe & Supportive Environments: Physical Safety & Mental Health in Healthcare
UNMC College of Nursing
Free 4.0-contact-hour ANCC enduring activity from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing on physical safety and mental health in healthcare workplaces.
Free registration with UNMC CNE; self-paced enduring activity.
4 contact hoursANCConlineVerified Aug 2026CertificateNE only
Workplace SafetyMental Health
Therapeutic Risk Management With PTSD Part 1: Suicide Risk Assessment and Stratification
VA National Center for PTSD
Free 1-hour course on clinical suicide risk assessment and stratification: ideation, intent and plans, risk and protective factors, and structured instruments. For Connecticut nurses it maps to the screening prong of CT's 2-hour mental-health screening and suicide-prevention requirement.
Credit for non-VA clinicians is claimed through a free VHA TRAIN account.
1 contact hourANCC (among other accreditations)onlineVerified Aug 2026CertificateCT only
Suicide PreventionMental Health
Preventing Suicide Through Lethal Means Safety (MLS) Training
Veterans Health Administration
Free 1-hour suicide-prevention training on lethal means safety counseling, offered at no cost under MISSION Act Section 123. For Connecticut nurses it maps to the suicide-prevention prong of CT's 2-hour requirement.
Free TRAIN registration required; complete the 1-hour version for CE (the 20-minute short version awards no credit).
1 contact hourANCC (among other accreditations)onlineVerified Aug 2026CertificateCT only
Suicide Prevention
Recognizing and Challenging Stigma
Western Region Public Health Training Center (University of Arizona)
Free self-paced 2.0-contact-hour course on recognizing and challenging stigma in health care, from the University of Arizona's public health training center. Arizona has no fixed CE mandate, so hours serve the education competency option and other states' totals. The WRPHTC catalog has more free CE (e.g. Public Health Ethics, also 2.0 ANCC hours).
Free per the WRPHTC CE program; requires a free account on their Moodle learning site.
2 contact hoursWRPHTC, jointly accredited (ACCME/ACPE/ANCC); 2.0 ANCC credit for NursesonlineVerified Aug 2026CertificateAZ only
Health EquityMental Health

Already have a course? Check whether it counts →

Frequently asked questions

Does free Suicide Prevention & Mental Health CE count toward my nursing license renewal?: Yes, when two things are true: the provider is accredited (for example, ANCC-accredited or on your state board's approved-provider list) and the content matches what your renewal requires. Free CE is not worth less than paid CE. Because acceptance rules vary by state, confirm the specifics with your state Board of Nursing before you rely on a course.
Which states require Suicide Prevention & Mental Health CE?: Suicide Prevention & Mental Health is a named CE requirement in 5 US jurisdictions: Washington, Connecticut, Kentucky, Nevada, Utah. Even where it is not separately mandated, these hours generally count toward your total CE. Open your state page for the exact hours and accepted providers.
How do I know if a specific Suicide Prevention & Mental Health course will count in my state?: Check that the provider is accredited or on your board's approved list, and that the course covers your state's required content. You can also paste any course into our free course checker to see whether it counts in your state, no account needed.
How many hours of Suicide Prevention & Mental Health CE do I need?: It varies by state, and in some states by whether you hold prescriptive authority, so there is no single national number. Many states fold suicide prevention & mental health into a required-topic portion of your total CE rather than adding hours on top. Your state page lists the exact requirement.

Other topics:Human Trafficking Implicit Bias Opioid Prescribing & Pain Management Patient Safety Infection Control Dementia & Alzheimer's Care All free CE

Get new free Suicide Prevention & Mental Health CE alerts

We'll email you when we add new verified free CE for this topic. No account needed, unsubscribe anytime.

No spam. We'll never sell your email. See our Privacy Policy.

RenewRN earns nothing from these courses. If you find a free CE source we missed, please submit it.

Frequently asked questions

Does free Suicide Prevention & Mental Health CE count toward my nursing license renewal?

Yes, when two things are true: the provider is accredited (for example, ANCC-accredited or on your state board's approved-provider list) and the content matches what your renewal requires. Free CE is not worth less than paid CE. Because acceptance rules vary by state, confirm the specifics with your state Board of Nursing before you rely on a course.

Which states require Suicide Prevention & Mental Health CE?

Suicide Prevention & Mental Health is a named CE requirement in 5 US jurisdictions: Washington, Connecticut, Kentucky, Nevada, Utah. Even where it is not separately mandated, these hours generally count toward your total CE. Open your state page for the exact hours and accepted providers.

How do I know if a specific Suicide Prevention & Mental Health course will count in my state?

Check that the provider is accredited or on your board's approved list, and that the course covers your state's required content. You can also paste any course into our free course checker to see whether it counts in your state, no account needed.

How many hours of Suicide Prevention & Mental Health CE do I need?

It varies by state, and in some states by whether you hold prescriptive authority, so there is no single national number. Many states fold suicide prevention & mental health into a required-topic portion of your total CE rather than adding hours on top. Your state page lists the exact requirement.