About this course: Learn to provide psychological first aid to people in an emergency by employing the RAPID model: Reflective listening, Assessment of needs, Prioritisation, 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 organisations, 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/ behavioural crisis reactions from more severe, potentially incapacitating, crisis reactions
• Prioritize (triage) psychological/ behavioural crisis reactions
• Mitigate acute distress and dysfunction, as appropriate
• Recognise when to facilitate access to further mental health support
• Practice self-care