Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a way of helping people immediately after a disaster or emergency. PFA providers give practical support in a way that respects the person's dignity, culture, and abilities. PFA providers must take care for their own well-being first so they can be helpful to others. This two hour online course was specifically designed to assist people to address concerns during our present pandemic. Both professionals and community members can provide PFA. You may even need to help your friends, family, colleagues, or neighbours. By learning PFA, you will build the skills you need to provide that support. You do not need to have formal healthcare training (E.g., psychology, social work, counselling, nursing). A certificate issued by Alberta Health Services upon completion of the course can be requested.
The size of this training is limited to 60 people. We will offer this training again if there is enough interest. If registration is full, please email [email protected] to be put on a wait list for the next training.
Facilitators:
Katharine Heimbigner-Tenor has a bachelor in Psychology and is pursuing a MA in Psychology Counseling degree. She's a long-time member of the Alliance and is presently volunteering on the Alliance's Mental Health Research Action Team. She also acts as the liaison for the Alliance with the Trauma Informed Care Collective advocating for the Alberta government to adopt trauma informed care practices across all agencies. With a background in the faith community and completion of her first basic unit in Clinical Pastoral Education last year Katharine continues to deepen her knowledge of how faith and psychology contribute to wellness.
Xun (John) Wang is a Psychologist-in-training who is finalizing his last year of graduate study specializing in School and Child Psychology at the University of Calgary. John has a well rounded understanding of mental health and early intervention programming, as well as the unique needs and barriers to services encountered by marginalized populations. Currently, he is working full-time as the Mental Health Counsellor at The Immigrant Education Society, where he designs academic, behavioural, and social-emotional interventions to enhance the quality of life of newcomer students with diverse ethnocultural backgrounds.
Bess Yang is a first-year Masters of Social Work student specializing in Clinical Social Work at the University of Calgary. Growing up in an immigrant family, Bess has a good understanding of the challenges and barriers to services encountered by marginalized populations. Bess was previously working as a Community Helpers Program Coordinator, teaching individuals how to support others when faced with mental health challenges and how to connect them with community resources. She currently volunteers with the Calgary Alliance for the Common Good Mental Health Research Action team.