What is PFA? A full-scale public health response to disasters must attend to both the physical and mental health needs of affected groups. The latter set of needs is especially important because far more individuals will report psychologically-related complaints than will report physical symptoms directly stemming from the injury-causing agent or event. Because a large scale emergency will overwhelm existing mental health response resources, psychological first aid - the provision of basic psychological care in the short term aftermath of a traumatic event - is an important skill set that all public health, medical, emergency, and community workers and helpers should have.
Program Overview: This training is a 3.5 hour, didactic training that provides public health professionals, emergency responders, and natural community helpers with the concepts and skills associated with psychological first aid. Additionally, this training is applicable to public health settings, the workplace, the military, mass disaster venues, and even the demands of critical incidents, e.g., dealing with the psychological aftermath of destructive storms, accidents, robberies, suicide, or community violence.
Intended Audience: Emergency responders, natural community helpers, mental health and substance misuse providers, public health workers, health care professionals, social workers, counselors, spiritual care providers, and other individuals who wish to learn more about the behavioral health response to disasters.
About the Trainer:
Marylena Chaisson, LCPC
State Coordinator, Maine Disaster Behavioral Health
Marylena Chaisson LCPC (she/her), is the Statewide Disaster Behavioral Health Coordinator for the Office of Readiness and Response, Maine CDC. She has a professional background working in and supervising a broad range of community mental health programs including Crisis Response, Crisis Stabilization, and Case Management. As a volunteer and training facilitator for Disaster Behavioral Health Programs for 15+ years, Marylena has had the great honor of supporting the preparedness and response activities in Maine and beyond, assuring high-quality response efforts for critical events impacting our communities, and ongoing support and effective aftercare for our First Responders and allied healthcare professionals. Marylena resides in Wilton with her husband and two teenagers, and enjoys camping, gardening, cooking, reading, Dungeons & Dragons, and traveling.
Registration fee: This training is supported by the University of Maine at Presque Isle and there is no fee to attend.
Special Accommodations - Deadline for registrations inclusive of a special accommodations request is 2 weeks before the training date.
Confirmation: Registration confirmation and Zoom log-in information will be emailed two days prior to the training date.
Cancellation: Cancellations must be received in writing at least 24 hours before the start of the training.
Questions: Visit the Disaster Behavioral Health website or contact Tammy McLaughlin at ADEPT at:
Ph: 207.620.2755 TTY Relay Service dial 711
email: tmclaughlin@adeptme.org