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PFA Training

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a supportive and practical assistance for people suffering distress from crises or disasters. It aims to help them manage their situation and cope with immediate challenges in a humane way. PFA training teaches non-intrusive crisis response skills like assessing needs, providing comfort, and linking people to information and support. It is meant to be provided immediately after danger passes by community members, not just professionals. The training covers PFA principles, common crisis reactions, dos and don'ts of helping, and practicing skills like active listening.

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haftamu GebreHiwot
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33 views

PFA Training

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a supportive and practical assistance for people suffering distress from crises or disasters. It aims to help them manage their situation and cope with immediate challenges in a humane way. PFA training teaches non-intrusive crisis response skills like assessing needs, providing comfort, and linking people to information and support. It is meant to be provided immediately after danger passes by community members, not just professionals. The training covers PFA principles, common crisis reactions, dos and don'ts of helping, and practicing skills like active listening.

Uploaded by

haftamu GebreHiwot
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Psychological

First Aid(PFA) Training

February 26/2022

Merho Training and Consultancy


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Excercise
 Have you ever supported people affected by
disasters?
 If so, what support did you provide?
 What comes to your mind if you think
about ‘Psychological First Aid?
 Who can provide this kind of support,
when, and where?
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Training content
 Psychological first aid
 The why to PFA?
 PFA for who, when & where?
 Factors affecting reaction of people
 DO’s & Don'ts
 Acting principles of PFA

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Objective of the training

• Describe what psychological first aid is and

what it is not

• List about reactions to distress/crisis

• Identify complex reactions and situations

• Practice the three action principles

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Psychological First Aid is

 A supportive and practical assistance to

people who are suffering


 Needs a set of skills and attitudes for

helping people in distress


 Helps them to manage their situation and

cope with immediate challenges.


 PFA is a humane and supportive response
to a fellow human being who is suffering
and who may need support.
 It is an acute intervention of choice when
responding to the psychosocial needs of
children, adults and families affected by
disaster and pandemic.

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Cont’d
 It is a first-line psychosocial support for

people affected by crisis events


 PFA, like medical “first aid”, is not enough

on its own
 After a crisis event, assistants are often

family members, neighbors, teachers &


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community members
Crisis
PFA IS ……
 Non-intrusive, practical care and support
 Assessing needs and concerns
 Helping people to address basic needs
(food, water)
 Comforting people and helping them to
feel calm
 Helping people connect to information,
services and social supports
 Protecting people from further harm 15
PFA IS NOT

Something only professionals can do/


professional counseling
• “Psychological debriefing” as it does not
include a detailed discussion of the
distressing event
• Asking people to analyze what happened
or put time and events in order
• Pressuring people to tell you their
feelings or reactions to an event 16
Why PFA?

Connectedness Safety

Hope

Calming
Self Efficacy
PFA: Who, When, Where?
Who can benefit from PFA?
 Boys, girls, women and men who have recently

experienced a crisis event and are distressed


 Some people need PFA more than others

 People with life-threatening injuries or unable to

care for themselves or their children

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When to provide PFA?

 Immediately when the

danger passed/people
are safe
 Days, weeks, months,

after the start of the


situation
Where to Provide PFA?

 A space safe enough to do so

 Health centers

 Shelters or camps

 Schools and distribution sites

for food
Factors influencing reaction during crisis

 Age
• The support one has
 When the event took
• Physical health
place
• Personal and family
 The nature and
history of mental
severity of the event
health problems
 Experience with
• Cultural background
previous distressing
events and traditions.
 How long the event
lasted
Helping responsibly involves …

 Respect safety, dignity and rights.

 Adapt what you do to take account of the

person’s culture.
 Be aware of other emergency response

measures.
 Look after yourself.
Respect peoples’

Safety
Ensure not to cause further harm or
danger physically or psychologically
Dignity/Respect

Treat people with


respect and in
accordance with
their culture and
social norms
Culture
 Dress
 Language
 Gender, Age & Power
 Touching /Behavior
 Belief & Religion

(WHO, 2011)
Rights
To access fairly and without
discrimination
 Encourage and help people to claim their

right to access the help available


Act only in the best interest of any person

encountered
What affected people may need
 Practical things – like a blanket, food, water, shelter
 Medical care for injuries or a help with chronic medical
conditions
 Safety and protection
 Information – about the event, loved ones, available
services
 Someone who is willing to listen
 To be able to contact loved ones
 Specific support related to their culture or religion
 Being consulted and involved in decisions that affect
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them.
Things to say and Do
 Find a quiet place to
• Provide factual
minimize distractions. information
 Stay near but keep an
• Provide an
appropriate distance understandable
 Let them know you are information
listening • Acknowledge their
 Be patient and calm feeling,
 Be honest • Keep confidentiality
• Acknowledge the
person’s strengths
Things not to say and Do
• Pressure someone to tell
their story. • Don’t use too technical terms.
• Not to rush or interrupt • Don’t tell them someone else’s
when listening story.
• Avoid giving opinion, just • Don’t talk about your own
listen troubles.
• Consider the • Don’t give false promises or
appropriateness before
false reassurances.
touching
• Not to judge toward
• No your limit in what you can
someone action and feeling do to others
• Avoid making up things • Don’t make the person feel
you don’t know. dependent
Prepare

 Learn about the crisis event.

 Learn about available services and


supports.
 Learn about safety and security concerns.
PFA Action Principles
Prepare
-------------------
LOOK LISTEN LINK
Check for safety
If people with obvious urgent
basic needs.

If people with serious distress


reactions.
Who should be given priority
 Vulnerable
 Disoriented or lose control
 Risk to themselves or to others.
 With serious life treating injury,
 Upset that they cannot care
themselves or their children
 Little experience
 Neuroticism
 Ethnic minority
 Socioeconomic
 Pre-disaster distress, history
Ask and listen about
people’s needs and
concerns and help them to
feel calm

Be empathic and use


active, open listening that
is devoid of prejudices
• Help people address basic needs and access
services.
• Help people cope with problems.
• Give information, Connect people with loved
ones and social support.
Approach people who needs
support
Approach people with Severe
Reaction
 Psychosocial triage
(identifying the
symptoms)
 Professional Referral
Ending the help
Professional will
decide
Link will be made if
needed
Wishing the best in a
positive manner when
saying good bye
Thank
you!

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