Psychological First Aid

Psychological First Aid

 

October 7, 2022

Presenter: Beckie Gierer

Enroll For Free:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qduuhrD8jH9Sy9BUz8lfj_lvcAmJZmX1e

 

 

 

Learn to provide psychological first aid to people in an emergency by employing the RAPID model: Reflective listening, Assessment of needs, Prioritization, Intervention, and Disposition.

Utilizing the RAPID model (Reflective listening, Assessment of needs, Prioritization, Intervention, and Disposition), this specialized course provides perspectives on injuries and trauma that are beyond those physical in nature. The RAPID model is readily applicable to public health settings, the workplace, the military, faith-based organizations, mass disaster venues, and even the demands of more commonplace critical events, e.g., dealing with the psychological aftermath of accidents, robberies, suicide, homicide, or community violence. In addition, the RAPID model has been found effective in promoting personal and community resilience. Participants will increase their abilities to: - Discuss key concepts related to PFA - Listen reflectively - Differentiate benign, non-incapacitating psychological/ behavioral crisis reactions from more severe, potentially incapacitating, crisis reactions - Prioritize (triage) psychological/ behavioral crisis reactions - Mitigate acute distress and dysfunction, as appropriate - Recognize when to facilitate access to further mental health support - Practice self-care Developed in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Open Education Lab.

 

Bio Of Presenter:

 

Beckie Gierer, MS

MO Department of Mental Health

Director, Office of Disaster Services

 

Beckie Gierer has worked with the MO Department of Mental Health (DMH) for 16 years and has worked for the State of Missouri for 21. She is the Director for the DMH Office of Disaster Services.

Beckie is also a contracted trainer with SAMHSA for the FEMA Crisis Counseling Program (CCP) and has trained crisis counselors all around the country (states and territories) in response to flooding, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, and the pandemic. Beckie was also one of six trainers who conducted nationwide trainings for SAMHSA and FEMA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is a trainer for the FEMA CCP Train the Trainer course. Beckie has also written articles about disasters and behavioral health for The Dialogue.

Beckie has provided trainings for DMH consumers, staff and providers, voluntary organizations, hospitals, community businesses, and first responders at state and national conferences and in agency settings on behavioral analysis, trauma, self-care/team-care, personal preparedness, mental health first aid, psychological first aid, continuity of operations, skills for psychological recovery, disaster fatigue, and the importance of behavioral health in emergency planning. She is part of a cadre of FEMA trainers for Continuity of Operations and one of three in FEMA Region VII.

Beckie was part of the team that created and stood up the first ever Behavioral Health Strike Team for the State of Missouri. This team has responded to mass casualty events across the State of Missouri and continues to grow. Beckie has a Master’s of Science from the University of Central Missouri.

Course Description:

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. Individuals affected by a disaster or traumatic incident,

whether survivors, witnesses, or responders to such events, may struggle with or face new challenges following the event.

PFA was developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the National Center for PTSD, with

contributions from individuals involved in disaster research and response.

 

PFA is designed to reduce the initial distress caused by traumatic events and to foster short- and long-term adaptive

functioning and coping. PFA does not assume that all survivors will develop severe mental health problems or long-term

difficulties in recovery. Instead, it is based on an understanding that disaster survivors and others affected by such events

will experience a broad range of early reactions (e.g., physical, psychological, behavioral, spiritual). Some of these

reactions will cause enough distress to interfere with adaptive coping, and recovery may be helped by support from compassionate and caring disaster responders.