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:
· Describe what PFA is and why it is important
· Identify the core components of PFA
· Learn how to recognize and respond to early stress reactions among individuals impacted by a traumatic event or disaster
Faculty:
Karla Vermeulen, Ph.D., Deputy Director—Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz