The Johns Hopkins Guide to Psychological First Aid

by George S. Everly Jr., Jeffrey M. Lating

Learn the essential skills of psychological first aid from the expert who created the Johns Hopkins RAPID PFA method. Psychological first aid, or PFA, is designed to mitigate the effects of acute stress and trauma and assist those in crisis to cope effectively with adversity. PFA is designed to be applied in emergencies, including disasters and terrorist attacks. In this essential guide, George S. Everly, Jr., developer of the Johns Hopkins RAPID PFA method, and Jeffrey M. Lating, his collaborator in its implementation, describe the principles and practices underpinning this psychological model in an easy-to-follow, prescriptive, and practical manner. They explain the history of PFA and persuasively demonstrate its powerful versatility. Mental health practitioners can apply PFA in all settings. It can also be used as a public-health tool to address mental health needs following critical incidents and as a means for building community resilience. Aimed at mental health practitioners, all first responders, and global health disaster teams such as Médecins Sans Frontières and the World Health Organization, The Johns Hopkins Guide to Psychological First Aid is the first book to thoroughly explain RAPID PFA. RAPID, a unique theoretically grounded and evidence-based PFA method, follows a set of easily understood principles. In each chapter, Everly and Lating provide a step-by-step approach and include a key point summary to emphasize essential elements. A unifying case exemplifies each phase of the RAPID PFA model in an ongoing dialogue that presents ideal PFA responses, examples of common mistakes, and various outcomes. In addition to their counseling experience in Kuwait after the Gulf War and in New York City after the September 11 attacks, the authors have traveled nationally and internationally to teach the RAPID PFA method in numerous public health, fire, police, military, and faith-based settings. Beneficial to those with little or no previous mental health training, this book is an essential tool for people who want to learn, to practice, or to retain their ability to use psychological first aid effectively.

Genres: Psychology, Mental Health, Medical, Counselling, Ebooks, Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2017

Reviews

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just happened across a free class being taught at Coursera by George Everly, one of the authors of this guide - and it's called Psychological First Aid. (Full disclosure, Dr. Everly is personally known to me, has taught me and is a colleague.) Dr. Everly teaches at a few places, but one of them is the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

This guide is great, but it may be a lot for someone to read and understand. Even better are his courses - any of his courses. You can access them via Hopkins' website too, or via Coursera, and if you don't want a certification, it's free. This course is designed for people not already trained in mental health or trauma, and everyone should take this course. It's free - it could be life-changing. The worst that could happen is you never use the information, which means you have averted being anywhere near violence, war or disaster, lucky you - though you will have wasted some hours.

I, personally, believe it's important to know basic 1st Aid, and this means psychological 1st aid too. I heartily recommend learning about resilience and stress response and self-care and the urgent but basic things that anyone who learns can do to change people's lives, or save them. (and that last phrase is not hyperbole. Trauma is the root cause of many suicides and many physical ailments, even more lives that are not being lived to potential.) Look up the courses, read this 200-pg guide. Be ready, then hope you just wasted your time.

[musicalla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful Overview of PFA

This book is a well-written and clear guide to the concept of psychological first aid, as well as reviewing the RAPID PFA framework. While I'm not sure you could go out and practice PFA simply based on reading this book, it gives you a good foundation on which to base that practice with more experience and guidance.

[Mary Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very relevant skills to acquire and cultivate

Psychological First Aid is a must have must-have book for anyone interested in the service of people suffering cute and chronic trauma scenarios. It is so well-written and packed with structured information. I have read it twice and will soon read it a third time. Much of the information offered in this book, we know, it is a good reminder. For those who find this information to be relatively new, I think they will be glad to be informed - it can only help - whatever our personal and social occupations. I suggest this is a very needed companion to all the information one can gather for ministering to domestic violence victims of all ages.

[Nick Arnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid material. Dr. Everly was one of my best instructors in Critical Incident Stress Management.

[Mohammed Soud]

Good

[Brandi Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valuable practices

This is very good information. A must read, this helped my mental health counseling practice go beyond and above. Thank you!