Time: Verbal First Aid can be scheduled as a 1 hour “Lunch & Learn” seminar or a 2 hour workshop
Certification & Credits: none
Description: Verbal First Aid helps participants understand that what you say to a person and how you say it can be as important as what you do for him or her in an emergency situation. When a person is afraid, injured, and upset, how we respond can help pave the way to recovery.
Verbal First Aid teaches the responder how to engage with someone in need, whether it is from a physical, medical, or psychological condition. The responder balances compassion with firm, sound decision making to set the tone for the individual to begin healing. Additionally, participants will learn how to address their own anxiety so that they can be effective.
Verbal First Aid is not meant as a replacement to medical treatment, but rather, as an adjunct technique to promote recovery. It is more than just what we say to the individual, but also, how we say it, and our demeanor.
When people are initially in crisis, a number of changes begin to occur within the body. As adrenalin is released, breathing becomes rapid, circulation speeds up, and the ability to make sound decisions is diminished.
How the individual perceives their condition has a significant impact on what takes place next. Some individuals underestimate their conditions and therefore do not seek help. Others overestimate their conditions, quickly spiraling downward into a full-blown crisis, including shock.
You will learn tools to help someone get through simple day-to-day problems and much more challenging situations.
For example:
- You have to take a child to the hospital for a procedure
- A friend has an anxiety attack or anger outburst
- A co-worker hurts herself in a serious fall
- A friend lost a loved one
- A critically injured person who will most likely not survive
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CPR / AED and First Aid classes address knowledge base and skills development. However, they do not prepare the responder to handle the aftermath of a rescue. But yet, these lingering thoughts, feelings, and images can have a major impact on the responder for days, weeks, or even months after the actual event, potentially impacting on productivity, relationships, and day-to-day living.
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Pre-Emergency Responder Readiness
Certification and Credit:None
Prerequisite: None
Description: Helps members of Emergency Response Teams prepare to handle an emergency before it happens. This workshop addresses:
- The role of anxiety
- The physical demands of responding to an emergency
- Decision-making under duress
Pre-Emergency Responder Readiness workshops help members of Emergency Response Teams prepare to handle an emergency before it happens.
Responding to an emergency requires knowledge (the know-how of what to do), skills (execution of the proper protocol), physical ability, and a calm, steady mind (controlling anxiety and making sound decisions under duress). All four components have to be present for the best response to an emergency.
CPR / AED and First Aid classes address the first two components. But, knowledge and skills alone will do no good if the responder is not physically and psychologically prepared to handle the emergency. If the anxiety level is extremely high, it can interfere with the responder’s ability to mobilize, even physically, or to recall his or her knowledge base, execute skills, and make sound decisions.
Post-Emergency Responder Readjustment
Time: This workshop is generally scheduled for 2 hours, but can be adjusted according to need.
Certification and Credit: None
Description: Helps responders address the immediate, or lingering, stressors in the aftermath of an emergency. Specific techniques and strategies are taught to alleviate any unwanted thoughts, feeling, or memories. This workshop can be arranged for individuals or groups of responders.
Post-Emergency Responder Readjustment workshops help responders address the immediate, or lingering, stressors in the aftermath of an emergency.
Responding to an emergency is not an everyday occurrence. Even if the emergency really was not serious, as the responder mobilizes, the body goes through significant changes… adrenalin rush, heightened anxiety, physical impact. If the rescue was more complicated, the impact is even more significant… much second guessing as to whether the responder made the right decisions, or used all of their resources. Whether the outcome was successful or grave, the responder may be left with lingering images, thoughts and feelings.
CPR / AED and First Aid classes address knowledge base and skills development. However, they does not prepare the responder to handle the aftermath of a rescue. But yet, these lingering thoughts, feelings, and images can have a major impact on the responder for days, weeks, or even months after the actual event, potentially impacting on productivity, relationships, and day-to-day living.