COVID-19: Psychological First Aid

Learn how to give practical and emotional support to individuals using PFA

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is the globally recommended training for supporting people during emergencies and offers guidance on delivering psychosocial care in the immediate aftermath of the emergency event.

On this 3-week course, you’ll explore the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and what you can do to help people cope.

This course has been produced by Public Health England and is based on international guidance from the World Health Organisation, United Nations and partners.

Learn everything about Psychological First Aid

We’ll start off by discussing how emergencies impact mental health, and other ways people respond to emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are many common responses to the pandemic, and you’ll be taught how to distinguish between signs of distress and signs of mental health conditions.

Preparing for mental health training

Preparation is key, and this will be your focus in week 2. You’ll learn about the role, discover the services and support you can offer, and gain an understanding about how to respect a patient’s dignity and rights alongside their culture and religion.

In the next stage, you’ll learn how to identify those most in need of PFA, assess support needs and look out for high-risk groups.

Offering emotional support and coping strategies

In the final week, you’ll learn about effective listening practices such as establishing communication and the do’s and don’t of providing emotional support.

Learn how to promote wellbeing, offer bereavement support, tackle practical problems and decide whether someone needs mental or physical support.

Finally, you’ll discover the best ways to support yourself and your colleagues while delivering PFA to others. We’ll teach you how to manage stress and explain the best places to get help.

This course is aimed at frontline or essential workers and volunteers dealing with the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. You do not have to be a specialist to deliver PFA.

Those who may benefit from this training include health and social care staff, first responders, frontline public-sector staff, essential workers, volunteers, supervisors and managers supporting staff or volunteers.

• Knowledge
• What is psychological first aid?
• How do emergencies impact mental health?
• Responses to the pandemic
• Resilience and recovery
• End of Week 1
• PFA in practice
• PFA in practice
• Stage 1: Prepare
• Stage 2: Look
• End of week summary
• PFA in practice and supporting yourself and colleagues
• Stage three: Listen
• Stage four: Link
• Supporting yourself and colleagues
• End of the course