Supporting childhood mental health in disasters: Evaluation of Psychological First Aid in Schools

Name: Psychological First Aid in Schools (PFA-S) Goal: The aim of PFA-S is to equip school staff with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be prepared to support the psychological wellbeing of school students when a disaster or critical incident occurs. What: The PFA-S program of training is delivered over 2 hours, and includes education content regarding the impacts of disasters on children across development, PFA-S core principles and actions, examples of disasters and application of PFA-S actions, and opportunities to reflect on and apply PFA-S principles and actions to relevant disaster and school contexts. The materials used are designed specifically for this study, by members of the research team and the NSW Department of Education. Further information about training materials can be gained by contacting the researchers or the training providers. Who: PFA-S training will be delivered by two NSW Department of Education Psychology and Wellbeing Services staff per session. Lead facilitators will be Psychologists in current wellbeing training and leadership roles and/or working in school psychologist roles. How: The program will be delivered live to entire school staff groups. To meet the timetabling needs of each school, the program may be delivered in one 2-hour block, or in two 1 hour sessions across two weeks, with one session conducted online, and one session in-person. Strategies to monitor fidelity will include a fidelity checklist completed by facilitators, as well as session attendance records. Where: The program will be delivered at each participating school site. School's completing the training across two weeks will access live facilitation for the first session via videoconferencing facilities, and the second session will be delivered on site.