Psychological First Aid

With our South Coast communities experiencing many adversities – such as fires, floods, and Covid-19 – in recent times, now more than ever people are requiring emotional comfort and support, as well as practical advice and assistance, in the face of these critical events.

Although most people experience distress following a disaster or critical incident, the majority will recover using existing coping strategies and social supports. As such, formal intervention in the immediate aftermath is generally not recommended. Rather PFA is internationally endorsed as the appropriate initial response. Underpinned by a person-centred and trauma-informed approach, the PFA workshop supports participants to:

• develop skills in communicating with, and reducing the initial distress of, people affected by a critical event
• support people to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment in the face of disaster, and utilise their own strengths and abilities to identify and address their own immediate needs
• foster short-term adaptive functioning and build resilience
• minimise the risk of further harm
• identify those in need of further support
• consider the importance of self-care when supporting others.

This workshop is interactive, encouraging participants to ask questions and engage in learning activities as well as share personal experiences and self-reflections. Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance, contributing to continual professional development.

Please circulate this training opportunity within your organisations and wider networks – supporting those impacted by a critical event requires a whole-community effort, so the more people we can engage with and offer this training to the better connected, resilient, and resourceful our South Coast communities will be in the face of adversity.

Psychological First Aid

Date: Tuesday 30 August 2022
Time: 9am – 1pm AEDT
Delivery: Virtual via Zoom
Cost: $75 per person

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