When terrible things happen in our communities, countries and the world, we want to reach out a helping hand to those who are affected. Perhaps you are called upon as a staff member or volunteer to help in a major disaster, or you find yourself at the scene of an accident where people are hurt. Perhaps you are a teacher or health worker talking with someone from your community who has just witnessed the violent death of a loved one. Knowing how to be supportive, what to say and do for people who are very distressed is vital in these situations and it is essential that all field workers are trained correctly, not only to support the people they are working with but also to care for themselves in what are quite often very difficult situations that affect, not only those directly linked with the incident, but also those providing support roles. Psychological first aid has been recommended by many international and national expert groups, including the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the Sphere Project. In 2009, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mhGAP Guidelines Development Group evaluated the evidence for psychological first aid. They concluded that psychological first aid should be offered to people in severe distress after being recently exposed to a traumatic event. According to Sphere (2011) and IASC (2007), psychological first aid (PFA) describes a humane, supportive response to a fellow human being who is suffering and who may need support. PFA involves the following themes:
If you are about to be deployed to a crisis or are already working in this area and would like training or support in Psychological first aid then please do get in touch with us today to talk through your needs.
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