Psychological First Aid: An Australian Guide

An Australian Guide 19Core skills and action principles in the Australian contextBe preparedBe prepared: know the situation, who your teammembers are and who is in charge; have a basicfirst-aid qualification.Assess and prioritiseAssess and prioritise: assess the situation and prioritiseneed; don’t rush in.Safety, security and shelterSafety, security and shelter: ensure people are warm,protected and have access to water or other suitabledrinks etc.EngagementEngagement: make contact, introduce yourself in a nonintrusiveway, explain who you are and why you are there.Calming and ComfortingCalming and Comforting: ‘be’ with people, acknowledgetheir situation, validate their thoughts and feelings; practicalstrategies (breathing, grounding techniques) to calm.Practical assistancePractical assistance: what is their most pressingconcern? How can you help with this? Whatinformation is available to them?Finding solutionsFinding solutions: encouraging people to identify their needsand consider ways of meeting them, help them to do this orfind information/relevant people who can assist.Moving on to assist othersMoving on to assist others: ensuring that linkages havebeen established for the previous person and then movingon, once again, to assess for greatest need.