PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID

THE POWER OF HUMANITY.

 EMERGENCY is the generic term used in Australia to describe disruptive and/or destructive events that causes loss of life, property and livelihoods, injury, and damage to communities.  For individual this may mean the loss of: near or significant loved ones; control over one's own life and future; hope and initiative; dignity; social infrastructure and institutions; access to services; property; livelihoods; place.

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID?  IT IS A HUMAN, CARING AND COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE THAT ADDRESSES PRACTICAL NEEDS AND CONCERNS ABOVE ALL ELSE. Psychological first aid is a proven approach to helping people affected by an emergency, disaster or traumatic event. Psychological first aid is based on the principle of "do no harm". It includes basic commonsense principles of support to promote normal recovery, such as helping people to feel safe, connected to others, calm and hopeful, with access to physical, emotional and social support, and able to help themselves. It aims to reduce initial distress, meet current needs, promote flexible coping and encourage adjustment.

THE CORE PRINCIPLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID:

-promote safety: remove from or reduce expose to threat of harm; help people to meet basic needs for food, water, shelter, financial and material assistance;

- promote calm: stabilise people who are overwhelmed or disoriented; provide an environment that is removed from stressful situation;

- promote connectedness: help people contact friends and loved ones; keep families together; respect cultural norms regarding gender, age and family structure;

- promote self -efficacy: engage people in meeting their own needs; assist with decision making;

- promote help: find out the types and locations of government and non-government services;

- promote hope: convey expectancy that people will recover; be there/by willing to help.

WHO DELIVERS PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID?  Health and allied health professionals, teaches and other education professionals, members of the clergy and other faith- based organisations, Red Cross personal support volunteers an other trained responders  from community organisations, and local government staff.`

USEFUL ORGANISATIONS: 

-Australian Child & Adolescent Trauma, Loss & Grief Network; www.earlytraumagrief.anu.edu.au

- Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health; www.acpmh.unimelb.edu.au

-Australian Red Cross;  www. redcross.org.au

- Department of Health (Queensland); www.health.qld.gov.au/mentalhealth/useful_links/disaster.asp

- Emergency Management In Australia; www.ema.gov.au

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