Psychological First Aid
“Psychological first aid helps save lives.
Every household and building should have someone trained in it ” TODAYonline
Venue: Online via Zoom
Psychological First Aid
PFA is a humane, supportive and practical response to people suffering exposure to serious stressors and who may need support. It is an approach to help people recover by responding to their basic needs and showing them concern and care, in a way that respects their wishes, culture, dignity and capabilities.
Although many people cope well enough in crisis situations, others may feel overwhelmed, confused, fearful, sad, angry or numb. Psychological First Aid (PFA) may be helpful for people who feel emotionally distressed after a crisis event.
Psychosocial support is about improving the psychosocial wellbeing by enhancing the care and support of families, friends and the community. It can be done by:
- supporting and promoting individual strengths (through psychological first aid)
- improving social ecology – connections and support and social networks (psychosocial programmes) understanding the influence of culture, value systems as well as individual and social expectations (psychoeducation, psychological first aid and psychosocial programmes)
What does PFA involve?
- giving non-intrusive, practical care and support
- assessing people’s needs and concerns
- helping people address basic needs (food, water)
- listening, but not pressuring, people to talk
- comforting people and helping them to feel calm
- helping people connect to information, services and social support
- protecting people from further harm
Methodologies
The face-to-face programme is designed to be an interactive one.
It includes;
- Bite -size information for quick understanding & retention
- Group discussion
- Case studies
- Role Play & Simulation
Resources
This programme and its materials are taken from a variety of sources which includes research papers and agencies’ white papers. It has been adapted to meet the need of this training programme. The sources are namely:
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network Field Operation Guide
- World Health Organization: Guide for Field Workers
- Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) Guidance Notes
- Psychosocial Reference Centre PFA Guide
- Save the Children Training Manual
- Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Network publications
This 2-day programme is based on World Health Standard. Accreditation by Association for Psychotherapist and Counsellors, Singapore (APACS). Participants will receive CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION & COMPETENCE
Programme Highlights
Led by Faiszah A. Hamid and Chin Meng Leng, Trainers from Psychological First Aid and Community Based Psychosocial Support
Work to equip all staff member or volunteer, help in a major disaster, or at the scene of an accident where people are hurt
Approach a new situation safely for themselves and others, and not to cause harm by their action
Learn how to recognise signs of distress, calm the victim down and stabilise the situation so that it does not escalate
Deal with vulnerable groups of people.
Pre-approved VCF funding of up to 80% available for charities
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
- Care Officers
- Volunteers
- Befrienders
- HR Personnel
- Social Workers
- Community Workers
- Case Workers
- Safety Officers
DATES AND TIMES
15 February 2023Day 1: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
PROGRAMME FEES AND FUNDING
New Item
EARLY BIRD
Standard Fee $172.80 Community Care Training Grant $17.28*
New Item
AFTER EARLY BIRD
Standard Fee $194.40 Community Care Training Grant $19.44*
All prices stated include GST.
*Up to 90% seminar fee funding for AIC approved organisations
ABOUT THE FACILITATORS
Faiszah A. Hamid
Faiszah A. Hamid is a Trainer on Psychological First Aid and Community Based Psychosocial Support. Faiszah is the pioneer in introducing psychological first aid [PFA] training in Singapore when she was the Associate Director of the Singapore Red Cross Academy. Identifying the need for a holistic and structured psychosocial training in Singapore, she started to build up the SRC Academy’s capacity in this area by collaborating with partners and experts in this field. She is also the Regional Trainer in the same field and has since trained various humanitarian organizations locally and overseas. In 2016, together with SRCA, she introduced and launched its first Psychological First Aid training to the public.
Faiszah is currently the executive consultant with Psychosocial Initiative. She curates, advocates and develops programmes and workshops focusing on behavioural work issues, stress and conflict challenges and psychosocial support including PFA.
She is currently undergoing accreditation to be a certified emotion-based guidance coach and has developed the emotional first aid programme, focusing on providing support to a non-crisis related event. She is also a certified Stress Management consultant and a Behavioural Analyst. Besides training, she also provides psychological first aid and emotion-based counselling to the community. She also audits the training done by trainee trainers as part of the process in becoming a certified trainer.
Faiszah is also an adjunct lecturer with the Singapore Polytechnic and has trained all the CARE officers under the Ministry of Education (MOE). She has conducted PFA programmes for Singapore Red Cross’ volunteers, LTA, Association for Psychotherapists & Counsellor members, NCSS, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Manpower, Sentosa Development Association, National Environment Agency, Singapore Wildlife Reserves and Singapore Sports School. She is a member of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Network, the Global Psychosocial Support Network and the Mental Health Academy.
Other credentials are as follows:
- Post-graduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology
- Graduate Diploma in Social Psychology & Counselling
- Certified Behavioural Analyst
- Certified Stress Management Consultant with Lifeskills Institute
- Training of Trainers (TOT) in Community-based Psychosocial Support
- Basic Training in Community-based Psychosocial Support
- Certificate in Lay Counselling
- Certificate in the Psychosocial Support Programme (PSP)
- Specialised training in Psychosocial Support in Emergencies
- Certificate in Instructional Design for Trainers
- Certificate in Counselling in Choice Therapy, awarded by William Glassner Institute
- Certificate in Successful Coaching & Mentoring
- Certificate in Curriculum Training
CHIN MENG LENG
CHIN MENG LENG is a Trainer on Psychological First Aid and Community Based Psychosocial Support. She is a veteran volunteer facilitator and coach on many fronts.
She volunteers with the Singapore Red Cross as a first aider at community events and for the First Aider on Wheels programme at the East Coast Park. An active trained scout leader, she has been serving with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop based in Singapore since 2011. She was an International service Team (IST), together with 8,000 adult learners serving 40,000 scouts and leaders from 152 countries.
Currently, Ms Chin is also an associate trainer with the Singapore Red Cross Academy for the Psychological First Aid course and the Safe Step Programme in schools. She is also the facilitator for the Humanitarian Trail (Survival Essentials) for the Red Cross Youth, a joint initiative with the Outward Bound School.
With the Boy Scouts, Ms Chin serves as the Merit Badge Counsellor and Service Coordinator, where she coaches Life Scouts on their service projects and links them with the local agencies. She is also part of the trainer pool for the BSA National Youth & Leadership Training program.
Ms Chin volunteers for children with special needs as well. She facilitates their service learning experience through community travelling and field trip. She also mentors a befriender programme for students from higher learning institutions. On top of all that, she provides an adapted online remote psychological first aid training on a monthly basis to a local NGO’s befriending programmes to migrant workers.
Other credentials are as follows:
- Bachelor of Science, NUS
- Registered Instructor in Psychological First Aid, Ministry of Education
- Certificate in Psychological First Aid, University of John Hopkins
- Certificate in Psychological First Aid, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
- Coursera Certificate in Introduction to Psychology, Yale University
- Certificate in The Resilience of youth: The Impact of Developmental Trauma, Covid-19 and Beyond (NCTSN)
- Training of Trainers (TOT) in Psychological First Aid
- Certificate in Community-based Psychosocial Support
- Certificate in Risk Management, SPEAR Safety Services
- Certificate in Para-Counselling
- Train the Trainer EDGE course, Far East Council University of Scouting