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Disaster Mental Health and Community‐Based Psychological First Aid: Concepts and Education/Training
Author(s) -
Jacobs Gerard A.,
Gray Brandon L.,
Erickson Sara E.,
Gonzalez Elvira D.,
Quevillon Randal P.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22316
Subject(s) - mental health , psychology , preparedness , training (meteorology) , applied psychology , resource (disambiguation) , medical education , disaster preparedness , emergency management , nursing , psychiatry , medicine , political science , computer network , physics , meteorology , computer science , law
Any community can experience a disaster, and many traumatic events occur without warning. Psychologists can be an important resource assisting in psychological support for individuals and communities, in preparation for and in response to traumatic events. Disaster mental health and the community‐based model of psychological first aid are described. The National Preparedness and Response Science Board has recommended that all mental health professionals be trained in disaster mental health, and that first responders, civic officials, emergency managers, and the general public be trained in community‐based psychological first aid. Education and training resources in these two fields are described to assist psychologists and others in preparing themselves to assist their communities in difficult times and to help their communities learn to support one another.