PS Centre Trainings

Many of the trainings offered by the PS Centre come in two versions: a basic training and a training of trainers, which is an add-on to the basic training.

In the basic training, the participants learn the curriculum, so they are able to perform the activities and interventions of the particular training. The training of trainers module focuses on teaching the participants how to conduct the basic training themselves, creating a trickle-down effect for spreading the knowledge.

You can read below about the different trainings that the PS Centre can provide, along with their respective curriculum. Click on a specific training to scroll to its description.

Psychological First Aid Module 1: An introduction to PFA

This half-day training module introduces participants to basic skills in psychological first aid (PFA). It is suitable for all Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers working in any sector.

It aims to enable participants to:

  • know what psychological first aid is and what it is not
  • understand the three action principles of ‘Look, Listen and Link’
  • practise providing PFA to someone in distress
  • be aware of the importance of self-care when helping others.

This training module is one of four on psychological first aid, which accompany a set of materials on PFA. These include an introductory booklet called A Guide to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and a small booklet, A Short Introduction to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Target group: Red Cross Red Crescent staff
Duration:  ½ day

Resources:

PFA Module 1 – Introduction

A Guide to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

A Short Introduction to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Psychological First Aid Module 2: Basic PFA

This training introduces participants to basic psychological first aid (PFA). The activities take between eight to nine hours and can be run in one long day OR over one-and-a-half days. It includes managing complex situations and reactions and guides helpers in selfcare. It is suitable for all psychosocial staff and volunteers and others providing direct care and support to people in distress.

It aims to enable participants to:

  • know more about reactions to distress
  • know what psychological first aid is and what it is not
  • understand the three action principles of ‘Look, Listen and Link’
  • have practised providing PFA to someone in distress
  • have considered complex reactions and situations
  • be aware of the importance of self-care when helping others.

This training module is one of four on psychological first aid, which accompany a set of materials on PFA. These include an introductory book called A Guide to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and a small booklet, A Short Introduction to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Target group: Red Cross Red Crescent staff
Duration:  1 or 1½ days

Resources:

PFA Module 2 – Basic

A Guide to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

A Short Introduction to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Psychological First Aid Module 3: PFA for children

This training introduces participants to psychological first aid for children. The activities take between eight to nine hours. It can be run over in one long day or one-and-a-half days. The training has been developed for staff and volunteers working with psychosocial support for children and those providing direct care and support to children
and their caregivers in distress, such as nurses, teachers, social workers, health volunteers or ambulance workers.

It aims to enable participants to:

  • know more about children’s reactions to distress
  • know what psychological first aid for children is and what it is not
  • understand the three action principles of ‘Look, Listen and Link’ in relation to children
  • have practised providing PFA to a child and caregiver in distress
  • have considered complex reactions and situations
  • be aware of the importance of self-care when helping others.

This training module is one of four on psychological first aid, which accompany a set of materials on PFA. These include an introductory book called A Guide to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and a small booklet, A Short introduction to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Target group: The training has been developed for staff and volunteers working with psychosocial support for children.
Duration:  1 or 1 ½ days

Resources:

PFA Module 3 – Children

A Guide to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

A Short Introduction to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Psychological First Aid Module 4: PFA in groups – support to teams

This three-day training introduces participants to ‘PFA in Groups – Support to teams.’ It has been developed for trained psychosocial staff or volunteers, team leaders, managers or others with responsibility for the well-being of teams of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies staff or volunteers.

The training enables participants to:

  • assess if a PFA and support meeting is needed
  • prepare for a PFA and support meeting
  • run a PFA and support meeting
  • manage time and facilitate the meeting so everyone feels included
  • handle difficult reactions and disclosures
  • manage group participation, dynamics and interactions
  • promote peer support
  • provide PFA to individuals and support to the group at the same time
  • know when and how to refer a person for additional help.

Target group: The training has been developed for trained psychosocial staff or volunteers, team leaders, managers or others with responsibility for the well-being of teams of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies staff or volunteers.

Duration:  3 days

Resources:

PFA Module 4 – Group

A Guide to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

A Short Introduction to Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Broken links

Circumstances surrounding conflict, crisis or disaster can cause families to become separated from their loved ones. Experience has shown that beneficiaries who approach the Red Cross Red Crescent looking for family members are often in need of psychosocial support.

This training is designed to support staff and volunteers in a wide range of settings where they may be in contact with families who have been separated from their loved ones. During the training participants will be introduced to the causes and consequences of being separated from family members and how separation may impact psychosocial well-being.

Additionally, the training provides participants with an understanding of how to support people who have been separated and at the same time take care of themselves

Target group: Red Cross Red Crescent staff working with people who have been separated
Duration:  1 day

Resources:

Broken Links: Psychosocial support for people separated from family members, a field guide

Broken Links: Psychosocial Support for people separated from family members, training module

Caring for volunteers
Basic training

This training provides a thorough introduction to the “Caring for Volunteers, a Psychosocial Support Toolkit,” which will help National Societies not only prepare volunteers but also support them during and after disasters, conflicts and other dramatic events. During this training the participants will get an understanding of psychosocial support and what the risks, resilience and protective factors for volunteers’ psychosocial well-being are. Further, participants will familiarize themselves with practical tools for self-care, peer support and Psychological First Aid, In addition, they will gain an understanding of how to set up psychosocial support systems for volunteers as well as monitor and evaluate volunteers’ efforts.

Training of trainers

The training of trainers prepares participants to facilitate “Caring for Volunteers” workshops built on the “Caring for Volunteers, a Psychosocial Support Toolkit”. Simultaneously it gives participants deeper insight into the content of the “Caring for Volunteers, a Psychosocial Support Toolkit” as the participants will have to facilitate parts from tool kit: understanding of psychosocial support; risks, resilience and protective factors for volunteers’ psychosocial well-being; self-care; peer support; Psychological First Aid; setting up psychosocial support systems for volunteers; monitoring and evaluating volunteers’ efforts. Additionally, the training includes a short module on didactic and pedagogical teaching methods (organising a training workshop; creating a safe and inclusive learning environment; what makes a good facilitator; different learning styles; facilitation techniques)

Target group: Programme Managers and staff responsible for volunteers.
Duration: 2 days for the basic training or 3 and a half days for the training of trainers.
Resources:

Resilience programme for young men

Young men are subject to increased vulnerabilities during disaster or conflict. When exposed to violence, poverty, unemployment or migration, young men may be further challeged. This often leads to negative behaviour and perceptions, depression and even addiction or trauma, making positive life choices more difficult, at a critical time of transition between childhood and adulthood.

This training enhances the participants understanding of providing psychosocial support through a peer-to-peer approach and provides guidance on planning and implementing psychosocial activities led by the young men themselves. Participants will be introduced to the following themes; psychosocial support; coping and assisting; youth as active members of the community

Target group: Young men who are to implement activities for other young men in their community.
Duration: 2 days.
Resources:

Sexual and genderbased violence

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a great challenge. It takes various forms, and acts of SGBV are widespread during and in the aftermath of armed conflicts and disasters. SGBV have serious impacts on individuals, their families and society as a whole. Violence in intimate relationships is a common type of SGBV, with assaults, threats, neglect and rape occurring within homes and other places where people should be safe. Trafficking, early marriages and forced prostitution are also forms of SGBV. SGBV leaves deep wounds on survivors, families and communities, as well as on secondary survivors. It is a widespread problem with serious emotional and social consequences, delaying recovery and leading to long-term distress, health complications, disability or even death.

In the course of their work, Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers are often confronted with SGBV. Helpers may even be the first ones to hear a survivor’s story. However staff and volunteers often feel anxious about the appropriate way to handle these disclosures.

To support Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers in their encounters with survivors of SGBV, this training provides staff and volunteers with the skills and confidence to better respond to the needs of people affected by SGBV.

The training guide is available online in English.

Target group: Staff and volunteers
Duration: 2 days.
Resources:

Community-based psychosocial support

The Community-based psychosocial support training kit gives participants skills and knowledge to provide basic psychosocial support after disasters.

Through a participatory approach, this training familiarises participants with the following subjects: crisis events and their impact, stress and coping, loss and grief, conducting activities in communities, psychological first aid and supporting staff and volunteers.

The training can be supplemented with additional training in specific subjects or adapted to suit a specific local context.

The training is available as a basic training and as a training of trainers.

Target group: Staff and volunteers
Duration: 5 days for the basic training and 3 and a half to 5 days for the TOT training
Resources:

Children’s Resilience Programme

This training introduces the participants to the comprehensive Children’s Resilience Programme, that can be conducted in and out of schools. The programme has four major tracks with 20 sessions in each track: Protection against abuse and exploitation, children affected by armed conflict, children affected by disaster and children affected by HIV. Sessions and tracks can be used as it suits the context.

The programme takes into account that children’s wellbeing is influenced by their interaction with their caregivers, teachers, peers and others in their community. How chidren cope in very difficult circumstances depend on a wide range of factors that the programme and training looks at. Participants learn to conduct sessions and run activities in different settings.

Target group: Programme Managers; volunteers and/or teachers who are implementing psychosocial activities with children
Duration: 3 and a half to 5 days
Resources:

Lay counselling

Social and humanitarian organizations provide support to people affected by crisis, as suffering from loss or serious illness, displacement, being stigmatized or otherwise living in isolation. Lay counselling can be effective if volunteers are properly trained.

This training aims to give participants an understanding of what lay counselling is and the attitude and skills required. It sets out the role and responsibilities of lay counsellors and the organization within which they work and equip them with knowledge and when to refer to specialized services. By the end of the training, participants will have developed a range of listening and responding skills and have insight into their own values and prejudices.

Target group: Lay Counsellors
Duration: 2 days
Resources:

Psychosocial support in emergencies (PSSiE) trainings

The PSSie trainings can be used both as trainings for Emergency Response Unit psychosocial support delegates and other delegates working with emergencies outside the ERU system – for example National Society psychosocial support staff and volunteers, and others who involved in emergency response. The psychosocial support component of the emergency support unit covers all the psychosocial support activities, including the kits and materials, training of volunteers, community outreach and awareness-raising undertaken by the psychosocial support delegate. The ERU training curriculum comprises of trainings for delegates, refresher trainings and trainings for volunteers.

Psychosocial support in emergencies (ERU) training

In times of emergency the psychosocial (PS) delegate is responsible for planning and supporting basic PS activities as part of the work of the ERU, together with the Operating National Society and/or local health authorities. Based on practical exercises and role playing mixed with presentations, this training prepares the PSS ERU delegate for work in the field by providing knowledge on how to identify, train and supervise volunteers.

Additionally, the training introduces the delegate to fieldwork by focusing on how to:

  • assess existing mental health and PS resources
  • interact with the Operating National Society
  • launch PS activities within or outside the ERU
  • liaise with local health authorities, WHO, UNICEF and others regarding PS interventions
  • monitor and report PS aspects of ERU work
  • sensitize ERU delegates to psychological and social dimensions of the disaster.

Further, by the end of this training, participants will be able to work according to the standard operational procedures and meet criteria as stated in the IASC Guidelines when setting up the PS component in the vicinity of the ERU.

Target group: Red Cross Psychosocial ERU Delegates
Duration: 5 days
Resources:

Psychosocial support in emergencies (ERU) – Refresher

Through practical exercises, prior knowledge of the “Psychosocial Support in Emergencies” training will be refreshed. Participants will also be introduced to the latest news and lessons learned from the PS ERU component.

Target group: Red Cross Psychosocial ERU Delegates, who have participated in the “Psychosocial Support in Emergencies” training
Duration: 2-3 days
Resources:

Psychosocial support for youth in post-conflict situations trainings
Basic training

The Psychosocial support for youth in post-conflict situations – basic training aims to provide a basic introduction to psychosocial support and facilitation techniques. The basic training will enable participants to:

  • become familiar with psychological and social reactions, needs and interventions, respecting relevant and appropriate cultural frameworks
  • plan and implement a variety of interventions sensitive to local circumstances, and undertake psychosocial activities for vulnerable youth.

Target group: Participants may come from a variety of backgrounds, not necessarily a health, mental health or social welfare background. The person conducting basic training should have completed the Psychosocial support for youth in post-conflict situations – Training of trainers. The preferred maximum number of participants per training is 18.
Duration: The length of this training can vary depending on the needs of participants and the request for training. It should include modules one through five.
Resources:

Training of trainers

The training of trainers (ToT) in psychosocial support for youth in post-conflict situations provides participants with an understanding of basic concepts, terminology and skills required to train other people (usually volunteers who work in the field) in psychosocial support. The ToT also empowers participants to deal with sensitive issues and provide reassurance, as well as emotional support. The trainer of a ToT workshop should preferably have a background in health, mental health, social welfare, education or conflict studies, or have a good understanding of social work, psychology and youth in post-conflict situations. Additionally, good communication skills and knowledge of facilitating trainings for adults are essential.

The ToT workshop in psychosocial support for youth in post-conflict situations will enable participants to:

  • facilitate trainings for other volunteers
  • understand psychological and social reactions, needs and interventions, respecting relevant and appropriate cultural frameworks
  • plan a variety of interventions that are sensitive to local circumstances
  • plan a training workshop and adapt materials to the local context.

Target group: The ideal number of participants for a ToT workshop is between 12 and 18. National Societies are advised to recruit participants who have an opportunity to train others in the community, in order for the training to achieve the maximum effect.
Duration: The ToT can be structured in different ways, based on the needs of the National Society. However, we recommend that a ToT be completed in no less than five days and include modules one through six.
Resources: