Psychological First Aid
This course equips learners in developing a personal understanding of the effects of stress, loss, trauma and grief.
The Canadian Red Cross Psychological First Aid program is about taking care of yourself - your thoughts, feelings and emotions when you have experienced stress, crisis or trauma - and then being there for family, friends and community when they are having difficulty coping.
Learn how to anticipate stress and crisis whenever possible and equip yourself with the skillset to practice self-care and to provide care for others during particularly challenging times. Unlike mental health first aid, which trains people how to help someone during a mental health emergency, Red Cross Psychological First Aid teaches you how to build up resiliency to stress and establish coping strategies for stress and trauma.
Two Psychological First Aid courses are available online to learn at your own pace: Self-Care and Caring for Others. In both these courses, learn the impact of stress, trauma, and grief while developing useful tools for handling difficult situations. These online courses are quick, accessible and practical, equipping you with skills you can use in daily life.
The instructor-led Psychological First Aid course is more substantive and flexible, and will help you gain a deeper understanding of the Red Cross Look, Listen, Link, Live model - this means having awareness that there is a problem, listening to yourself or others, and linking to resources in your community so you can live fully.
You'll also learn Psychological First Aid using the principle of Do No Harm, which refers to the unintentional harm that may be caused to those who are meant to benefit from your intervention.
Course Details
Topics Covered
Psychological First Aid includes:
- Introduction to the Canadian Red Cross
- Case Studies
- Psychological First Aid
- Operational Principles
- Stress/Distress
- Loss and Grief
- Trauma
- Indicators
- Vulnerable Populations
- Supportive Communication
- Look, Listen, Link, Live
- Resiliency and Protective Factors
- Protection
- Policies and Legislation
- Self-Care
FAQs
What are the five steps of psychological first aid?
The 5 elements of Psychological First Aid are Safety, Calm, Connectedness, Self and Group Efficacy, and Hope. Just as important as these 5 elements are the things which are NOT part of Psychological First Aid, and can lead to serious harm if approached by a non-expert. Key things to AVOID in Psychological First Aid are: obtaining details of the trauma, diagnosing, treatment, and debriefing of a trauma.
What is psychological first aid?
Psychological First Aid is the humane, supportive, and practical response to people suffering from a crisis.
What are the basic objectives of psychological first aid?
The goal of Psychological First Aid is to help people in crisis identify and access the resources they need to help themselves, from basic services, family, friends and community, to focused supports and specialized services.
Training Schedules & Locations
There are no certification classes at this time. Please check back.Materials
The Psychological First Aid course includes the following materials:
- Canadian Red Cross Psychological First Aid Workbook (hard copy)
- Look, Listen, Link, Live cards
Who should take this course?
- All audiences (youth/workplace/professional responder/etc.)
Looking for a group class?
If you have a group of people and would like us to come to you to teach a
Psychological First Aid course, we offer this course in the following locations:
Victoria | Langford | Esquimalt | Sooke | Cobble Hill | Mill Bay | Duncan | Lake Cowichan | Cedar | Ladysmith | Nanaimo | Parksville | Qualicum Beach | Port Alberni | Coombs | Parksville | Campbell River | Saltspring Island | Pender Island | Powell River | Gabriola Isand | Burnaby | Coquitlam | Delta | Langley | Maple Ridge | New Westminster | North Vancouver | Pitt Meadows | Port Moody | Richmond | Surrey | Vancouver | West Vancouver | White Rock | Langley |
Give us a call at 1.866.282.5378, or send us an email at info@alertfirstaid.com to arrange a group course.