This training program - Psychological First Aid - is designed for a range of frontline workers and community leaders supporting communities in East Gippsland and North East Victoria affected by the 2019-20 bushfires, as well as more recent disasters and stressors.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a practical, flexible, and recommended approach to helping people in the aftermath of trauma. It can be delivered by both lay and professional helpers.

PFA helps to reduce the initial distress and assists people to cope better in the days and weeks following a traumatic event, such as a disaster, workplace accident, or assault. It can also be used to support people even years afterwards when they become distressed when reminded of the trauma.

Helpers trained in PFA ensure safety, provide emotional comfort and support, and offer practical advice and assistance to address people’s immediate needs.

In this course, you will learn core skills of PFA, including simple psychological strategies, and gain the confidence to provide assistance and support to individuals affected by trauma.

Please note: A brief online training module needs to be completed prior to attending the three-hour workshop. You will receive access to the online component once you have registered for this training.

Who should attend this training?

This training is suited to people with no or minimal mental health skills training, this could include legal professionals, pharmacists, council workers, as well as those who provide clinical or therapeutic care such as aged care workers, healthcare staff, and financial counsellors.

More experienced mental health professionals may also find the training useful to refresh or further their understanding of trauma.

Cost

Phoenix Australia typically delivers this training for $390 per person. However, the development and delivery of this training has been generously funded by the Victorian Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Bushfire Recovery Package. As such, registration is free of charge to eligible participants.

The Victorian Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Bushfire Recovery Package

The Victorian Department of Health has engaged Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health to deliver free training programs to aid frontline workers in order to better support community members affected by the 2019-20 bushfires in North East Victoria and East Gippsland. The training aims to enhance the ability of frontline workers and community leaders to:

Support community members recovery from bushfires
Promote their own resilience and psychological recovery from the bushfires
Support the resilience and wellbeing of their teams and organisations