Unpredictable disasters are increasing, emphasizing psychological support for victims
Training disaster mental health recovery support personnel through psychological first aid education
Geumcheon-gu Health Center, Mental Health Welfare Center, and social welfare facility workers complete training for 30 participants
Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yu Seong-hoon) announced on the 27th that it conducted ‘Psychological First Aid Education’ to train personnel who support alleviating psychological distress and restoring mental stability during disasters.
‘Psychological First Aid (PFA)’ refers to activities provided immediately after a disaster to ensure the psychological stability of victims. It helps reduce the initial psychological distress of disaster survivors and supports short-term adaptation and long-term recovery.
In the past, material relief was prioritized when disasters or major accidents occurred, but recently, as unpredictable disasters have increased, psychological support for victims has also been emphasized.
The district’s disaster mental health support personnel consist of 22 recovery support staff and 2 (semi-)experts, totaling 24 people. This number was somewhat insufficient for rapid intervention in psychological trauma caused by disasters.
To train professional support personnel, the district conducted education for 30 workers from Geumcheon-gu Public Health Center and related organizations such as the Mental Health Welfare Center and social welfare facilities. Expert instructors affiliated with the National Trauma Center and Seoul Mental Health Welfare Center conducted a 6-hour course covering ▲ introduction to disasters, mental health, and psychological first aid ▲ general behavioral guidelines for psychological first aid ▲ protection and self-care for field personnel ▲ practical training in emergency care during disaster situations.
Those who completed the training were issued certificates for the basic course in Psychological First Aid (PFA), qualifying them to provide disaster psychological support services and psychological first aid.
Yu Seong-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, “Through this training, we were able to cultivate personnel who can provide practical help to residents during disasters. We will do our best to improve disaster response capabilities through continuous education and training to protect the safety and precious lives of our citizens.”
For more details, inquiries can be made to the Health Promotion Division of Geumcheon-gu Public Health Center.
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