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Layla Bluefort, MSW

Mental Health First Aid Instructor
Train with Lay
Charlotte, North Carolina

Layla Bluefort, MSW, is a nationally recognized trainer, community advocate, and a self-described rebel that disrupts systems that don't serve the greater good. She is the founder of "Train with Lay" and Duchess by Design. Since 2015, she has served as a Certified Adult MHFA Instructor, adding Youth MHFA in 2016 and Teen MHFA in 2024. To date, she has trained more than 2,700 First Aiders, including over 900 individuals across 75 classes in 2025 alone. In 2025, Layla was honored as the National Adult MHFA Instructor of the Year for her exceptional impact in expanding MHFA access to diverse communities.

In addition to her MHFA expertise, Layla is a certified CPR, First Aid, and Babysitting Safety Instructor. She believes that lifesaving skills should never be a privilege, but a right — and works tirelessly to bring both mental health and physical health trainings to under-served and overlooked communities. Through innovative partnerships, grassroots outreach, and creative programming, she ensures that cost and access are never barriers.

Her work is driven by the conviction that everyone deserves support. Whether equipping barbers, hairstylists, estheticians, and trainers as trusted community gatekeepers, or breaking the silence around perimenopause and women’s mental health, Layla brings MHFA into spaces where people already feel safe and seen. She also mentors social work interns and rising professionals, emphasizing self-care and equity as central to sustainable practice.

With a background in social work and more than a decade of experience leading trainings, mentoring students, and advocating for community wellness, Layla blends lived experience, professional expertise, and a passion for equity. She embodies the mission of Mental Health First Aid: reducing stigma, strengthening communities, and ensuring that no one struggles alone.

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