Hawaii Trainer Offers Free Psychological First Aid Certification Course

Aloha State Daily reported that certified trainer Deborah Bear Barbour is offering a free online Psychological First Aid training class for community members in Oʻahu. The program is open to individuals in high school and older who wish to assist families recovering from disaster. [1]

Barbour, who joined the Kāneʻohe/Kahaluʻu Community Emergency Response Team nearly 15 years ago, uses an evidence-informed modular approach to assist individuals in crisis. According to Aloha State Daily, she is certified by the Department of Emergency Management and aims to provide practical tools to help prevent trauma from progressing. [1]

Psychological First Aid was developed in 2006 by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to reduce the occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder. The concept originated in the 1940s to address war stress among Merchant Marines before being formalized by organizations such as the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. [3][5]

Participants who complete the upcoming training will receive a official certification to help support their local communities during future emergencies, Aloha State Daily reported. [1]