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As a former medic, I can tell you that no one comes out of a major disaster unscathed. Some people are more adept than others at covering up the effects, but that doesn't mean they aren't affected.
CIDRAP's Promising Practices explains how the Minnesota Department of Health has adapted the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder's Psychological First Aid (PFA) course into a 2-4 hour training module for emergency responders.
This from CIDRAP News.
PROMISING PRACTICES FOR PANDEMIC PLANNING
Addressing psychological needs in disaster responsePingping Yang
Staff Writer
Editor's Note: CIDRAP's Promising Practices: Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Tools (www.pandemicpractices.org) online database showcases peer-reviewed practices, including useful tools to help others with their planning. This article is one of a series exploring the development of these practices. We hope that describing the process and context of these practices enhances pandemic planning.
Dec 1, 2008 (CIDRAP News) – A training program under way through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) aims to reduce the psychological impact of emergencies and disasters in a process that has similarities to delivering physical first aid.
Since September 11, 2001, there has been a growing understanding of the psychological impact of terrorism and disasters. Thus more professional and lay responders have learned a range of ways to address the psychological needs of people affected by terrorism and disasters. One type of training, called psychological first aid (PFA), is increasingly used as a first step in assisting people caught in disasters.
Nancy Carlson, the behavioral health preparedness coordinator at the MDH, began teaching PFA in Minnesota more than 4 years ago. The training program offers basic courses for disaster behavioral health responders and addresses the needs of specific local audiences.
"Our main goal is to have psychological first aid become one of the programs in Minnesota like the physical first aid that everybody can do." Carlson said.
View tools and reviewers' comments from the "Minnesota Psychological First Aid Training" practice
http://www.pandemicpractices.org/practices/resource.do?resource-id=306&state-id=28
