Listen, Protect, Connect – Model & Teach Psychological First Aid

Department of Homeland Security, United States, 2006

Related to Disasters, Preparing for natural disasters, Responding to traumatic events, Trauma

As a teacher, you are in an excellent position to help your students after a disaster, school crisis, or emergency. Just as you help connect students with appropriate academic and counselling services under normal circumstances, you are in an excellent position to help your students return to school, stay in school, continue to learn, and return to their usual school-based activities after such an event. This factsheet helps teachers introduce the steps of psychological first aid for students after a disaster, school crisis or emergency.

Discover more resources

Fact sheet

Psychological First Aid tip card

Emerging Minds

Psychological First Aid for children is an internationally accepted strategy that can be used anytime, but is most widely used in the first hours, days and weeks following a traumatic event. This tip card includes some practical ways that Psychological First Aid for children can be applied.
Fact sheet

How parents and caregivers can prepare for a natural disaster

Emerging Minds

Australia is affected by many different types of disaster, including floods, bushfires and cyclones. Preparing yourself and your family ahead of time can really make a big difference to how you and your family respond and cope if there is a disaster. This information will take you through some practical and psychological strategies to help you and your family get prepared.
Webinar

A whole child approach to disaster recovery

Emerging Minds and Mental Health Professionals' Network (MHPN)

This webinar, co-produced by the Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN), our panel of experts explore ways to support infants and children following a disaster.
Research summary

Highlights in child mental health research: October 2024

Prepared by AIFS

This October 2024 research summary provides a selection of recently released papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses related to infant and child mental health. Each summary includes an introductory overview of the content for the month, followed by a list of selected articles. Each article is accompanied by a brief synopsis which presents the key messages and highlights. Links to abstracts, full-text articles and related resources, where available, are provided.
Webinar

Relationships matter: Walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents

Child Family Community Australia & Emerging Minds

This webinar with Child Family Community Australia (CFCA) explores ways that practitioners can build a deeper connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
Research summary

Highlights in child mental health research: September 2024

Prepared by AIFS

This September 2024 research summary provides a selection of recently released papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses related to infant and child mental health. Each summary includes an introductory overview of the content for the month, followed by a list of selected articles. Each article is accompanied by a brief synopsis which presents the key messages and highlights. Links to abstracts, full-text articles and related resources, where available, are provided.
Practice paper

Why we need to support infants and children before, during and after disasters

Emerging Minds

Infants and children rely on the adults around them to meet their needs, keep them safe and help them to make sense of their world. This puts them at greater risk of adverse impacts when a disaster occurs. This practice paper introduces the foundational knowledge and skills needed to support children and families at all stages of a disaster (preparedness, response and recovery).
Practice paper

Disaster preparedness with a focus on infants, children and families

Emerging Minds

This practice paper is designed to help you understand the importance of disaster preparedness for not only increasing safety and protecting lives when a disaster occurs, but facilitating the recovery of individuals, families and communities. It also offers practical advice for supporting the disaster preparedness of the children and families you work with.
Practice paper

Understanding how disasters influence infants and children

Emerging Minds

This practice paper aims to equip practitioners with knowledge about the ways disasters can influence a child’s ecology and the importance of targeted support for children’s resilience and recovery in the short and long term.
Practice paper

Supporting infants, children and families in an evacuation

Emerging Minds

This practice paper explains why it’s important to consider pregnant people, infants, children and families in evacuation planning and management. It provides practical considerations and strategies for ensuring evacuation procedures and centres meet the needs of infants, children and families and enhance their safety, wellbeing and recovery.
Practice paper

How psychological first aid can support infants, children and families who experience a disaster (part one)

Emerging Minds

This paper is the first of two and introduces psychological first aid (PFA), a psychosocial support approach that can reduce distress and support the mental health of infants, children and families who have experienced a disaster.
Practice paper

Psychological first aid with infants and children: Practice guidance (part two)

Emerging Minds

Part two of two: This paper provides guidance to practitioners offering psychological first aid with infants, children and families in the context of a disaster.

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