Endorsed by the World Health Organisation, Australian Psychological Society, Lifeline Australia and the Australian Red Cross, Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a globally recognised, evidence-based set of responses to support people after an emergency, traumatic event or disaster.
Designed for first responders and support people, and intended for community application, PFA is the psychological equivalent of emergency housing or food distribution. It is a psychosocial support activity comprised of a critical set of postvention tools which can be used by any trained person in the wake of a serious crisis event. PFA has been found to be very effective in reducing both immediate distress and longer-term negative outcomes such as PTSD and suicide ideation.
This training course develops the necessary understandings and real-world skills required to provide PFA and prepares participants to be useful in a post-incident setting. While training can be tailored to the context of participant roles, industry context and likely PFA recipients, it is always grounded in the PFA core principles, which are to promote safety, calm, connectedness, self-efficacy and hope.
Important: Psychological First Aid should not be confused with Mental Health First Aid which is a separate course about responding to everyday mental health symptoms.
TOPICS INCLUDE
- What PFA is and is not
- Understanding traumatic events
- Principles of Psychosocial Support:
Safety, Calm, Connection, Efficacy, Hope - Providing Psychological First Aid:
Prepare, Look, Listen, Link, Link Back - PFA Skills and Practices:
Rapport, contagious calm, postvention listening skills, compassion in action, emotional stabilisation, modelling hope, strength-based language
This course includes
- Engaging, up-to-date materials.
- Take-home resource package.
- All day catering and beverages - with dietary needs catered for.
- Certificate of attendance.
