Course Description

Course Description:

The Office of Health Emergency Preparedness (OHEP), in partnership with the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the SUNY New Paltz Institute for Disaster Mental Health (IDMH), has developed a revised curriculum in Psychological First Aid (PFA). PFA is an evidence-informed approach that provides staff with practical methods to help people with their basic needs and immediate concerns during, or in the aftermath, of an emergency. It is designed to reduce the initial distress caused by traumatic events and to foster short- and long-term adaptive functioning and coping.

Course Objectives:

 In this four-hour training, participants will learn:

• The PFA approach and how to teach the curriculum to staff at their job site or agency.
• How to recognize and respond to early stress reactions among individuals impacted by a traumatic event or disaster.

This Course Meets the Requirements for BP1 (2024-2025) Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) LHD Core Deliverable C-16: Psychological First Aid (PFA) Training.

Target Audience:

One person from each hospital, county health department, and mental health facility identified to return to their facility and teach staff members on how to incorporate PFA practices into their response activities.

NOTE — PLEASE READ: Please verify your contact information and employer information in your LMS profile when registering.  Any required course correspondence will be sent using the e-mail address listed in the LMS.

There are no prerequisites.