Psychological First Aid (PFA) training is geared towards individuals who are in roles that respond to and manage traumatic events, including first responders and teachers. CLICK on the tile of the course for more details.
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Description
Made possible by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) will be provided FREE for in-person training sessions to those living in or providing services in the following counties: Androscoggin, northern coastal Cumberland, Knox, Lincoln, Penobscot, Sagadahoc, Waldo, York
Those outside of the listed counties are welcome to attend for a price of $40 per in-person course.
MHFA, PFA, and Preventing ACEs are FREE to everyone statewide when attending one of our interactive webinar sessions.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed modular approach to help children, adolescents, adults, and families in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism. Its practice also offers support in challenging times as experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. PFA seeks to illuminate the impact of collective trauma, build resiliency and assist in self-care actions plans. It incorporates five evidenced-based principles (safety, calming, connectedness, self and community efficacy, and hope) along with eight core elements (engagement, safety, stabilization, information gathering, practical assistance, connection to social supports, information on coping, and linkages with collaborative services).
PFA provides skills for:
- identifying and responding to individuals who have experienced trauma
- strategies for connecting individuals to resources
- skills for self-care.
The premise of PFA is based on the understanding that those impacted by trauma will experience a range of reactions and that those reactions will cause enough distress that initial support is critical to help prevent a more serious conditions. Developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the National Center for PTSD, PFA has been used by the American Red Cross, first responders and law enforcement to train staff on how to respond to collective trauma experiences. Although targeted for different populations, it offers a consistent approach to each population. PFA has been developed to address the cultural and developmental competencies of populations served by those trained in PFA such as school personnel, law enforcement/public safety staff, military & veterans. It utilizes a standardized field manual that outlines the training modules, core actions and self-care strategies to ensure fidelity to the training is maintained without modification.
