Bounce Day Blog: Psychological First Aid

What is Bounce Day?

For the newest information please go to www.Bouncday.org

Bounce Day aims to improve community resilience through an integrated disaster response experience that provides opportunities for education, collaboration, and innovation. Bounce Day is put on by a collaboration of Mayo Clinic researchers, educators and students, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Military medical personnel, local medical alliances, theatre groups and lay community members. Actors simulating illness (zombies) and those affected by the crumbling of society will interact with participants learning both medical and nonmedical response protocols ranging from vaccination and treatment to refugee camp management and security.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Psychological First Aid

Psychological first aid is critical in emergency response. It is used by clinicians and non-mental health experts alike "in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism to reduce initial distress and to foster short and long-term adaptive functioning. PFA does not necessarily involve discussion of the traumatic event."

Components:

Protecting from further harm
Opportunity to talk without pressure
Active listening
Compassion
Addressing and acknowledging concerns
Discussing coping strategies
Social support
Offer to return to talk
Referral

Steps:

Contact and engagement
Safety and comfort
Stabilization
Information gathering
Practical assistance
Connection with social supports
Coping information
Linkage with services

I the event of a disaster, 95% of victims are rescued by neighbors, not agencies. Take a moment to learn how you might provide psychological first aid in cases of trauma.