Hello everyone,
In the last sessions, we explained that psychosocial support
can be provided by volunteers
No specialized certification is required
Many of us know about first aid, health care, etc
but few have heard about psychological first aid (PFA)
Today, we will discuss definitions of PFA
how to help in a responsible manner
& how to provide PFA
As you know, reactions of individuals depend on:
the nature & intensity of events they are experiencing
their experience with past traumatic events
صحتهم الجسدية
the support they receive from others
their personal & family medical history
their educations & ages
What is PFA?
According to Sphere Project 2011 & Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)
PFA describes a humane, supportive response
to persons who are suffering & who may need support
Today, we will discuss aspects of PFA
keeping in mind that there are persons
who may need more advanced immediate support
& we cannot give them PFA only
such as persons with serious life-threatening injuries
requiring emergency medical care
or persons who are too distressed
to take care of themselves, their children, or those around them
or persons who may harm themselves or those around them
They should receive aid or even more services
Yes! Very important:
PFA is not something professional
It is not venting
It is not professional counseling
It does not involve pressure on others
It has some features like:
الشعور بالأمان والأمل
Possibility of getting social support
Feeling able to help oneself
This is what we seek
Remember the last session
which talked about the rules of providing help responsibly
Now, let’s discuss this in more detail:
1. Respect safety, dignity & rights
Safety: Do not expose individuals to more risk or harm as a result of your own actions
We have to ensure their safety & our own safety in the first place
Make absolutely sure that the adults & children being helped are safe
We have to protect them against both physical & mental harm
Respect: We have to treat others respectfully
based on their cultures & social traditions
As for rights, we have to make sure that people can get aid
fairly & with no discrimination
Help people to get their rights & have access to the available support
Act in the best interest of everyone you meet
Dignity: We have to preserve their dignity in whatever you do
2. We have to adjust actions to match the cultures of the persons we are dealing with
We may deal with persons with backgrounds different from our cultures & knowledge
As help providers & volunteers
you have to pay attention to your own cultural backgrounds & beliefs
so that you can neutralize your own biases
Try to be aware of the available services & forms of support
so that you can inform the persons you are helping about it
provided that such information is true
Inform them about how to get the right practical assistance they need
Have a look at the examples shown in the table
regarding what to do & what to avoid
such as avoiding forced assistance
Of course, never asking for money or exploiting contacts with them
When preparing for giving assistance, we should gather information about the incident
gather information about the available services
& gather information about the concerns & questions of the person we are going to contact
For example, you can ask the following questions (remember them):
What happened?
متى وأين وقعت؟
How many persons could be harmed or affected by the incident?
Who are those persons?
Who is providing basic services for those persons?
Is there anyone to help them?
Do they need food, water, or shelter?
Where & how can the persons you want to help get such services?
Who are other help providers in this area or in this field?
What is the current situation? Is there any other impact?
Assistance should be given in accordance with the principles of PFA, as follows:
Remember the three steps mention now:
Look, listen & link
Look: observe for your personal safety & safety of others
who need immediate care, as already said
Listen: Contact the person in need of support
Ask about their needs & help them to keep calm
Link: Help them to meet their needs & overcome their problems
giving correct information as necessary
& connecting them to social support
Again: There is a helpful list of things not to say or do, including:
Do not give false promises or false reassurances
(for example, do not promise that they would recover on the following day)
Do not feel you have to try to solve all the person’s problems for them (it is impossible)
Do not talk about people in a bad way
Do not take away the person’s strength & sense of being able to care for themselves
Be patient & calm
Give true information if you have it
Be truthful about what you know & what you do not
Give information in a manner as comprehensible & simple as possible
Last, you have to get prepared for ending your assistance:
What will happen next?
When & how will you stop giving assistance to that person?
This depends on your role, position
& the needs of the persons you are helping
Tell the person that you are going to leave & stop giving assistance
If there is someone who would resume helping them
introduce that person to those concerned
Tell them about what they can expect in a positive way
Always make sure to provide them with contact details for follow-up
Last, PFA & early psychological support are preventive factors
When you help people to adjust better to their conditions
this will make them more likely to respond effectively
& begin to reorganize their lives
Ignoring emotional reactions can lead to passive victims
instead of active survivors
As a result of this, recovery will be slower for both the individual & community
Today, we had a brief about how to provide PFA
Please refer to the attached brochure for more interventions & details
In the coming sessions, we will explain dealing with panic & anxiety management
Be safe!
