CNF Staff Complete Psychological First Aid Course

Dr. Joe Chan, a certified Canadian Red Cross First Aid Instructor, shares his learnings with the group.

It is of utmost importance to Coastal Nations Fisheries to nurture a work environment in which employees can thrive.

Our objective is to promote a safe, inclusive workspace where everyone feels welcome to bring their full, best self and where we accomplish goals together and take care of each other as a team.

As part of this mission, CNF Business Manager Sandra Manow participated in a Psychological First Aid (PFA) course and is now certified in PFA. You can book this course, which is facilitated by Pacific First Aid, through the Canadian Red Cross.

The course consists of three parts, two online and one in person. For the online portion, participants study materials on self-care and care for others. Both online parts include knowledge check-ins.

The in-person portion took place at the office of the facilitator, Pacific First Aid. In a small group, participants learned interactively how to apply PFA through different scenarios, where they put themselves in the role of the impacted person, a PFA provider or an observer. This interactive learning also involved story sharing, lively group discussions on what the theoretical, often vague, concepts mean in practice, and other hands-on exercises.

The facilitators Dr. Joe Chan and Tammy Germain led the day-long workshop with compassion, humour and palpable love for their work. The group worked well together and bonds were formed quickly.

The course is recommended for a broad audience, indeed anyone who would like to learn how to assist individuals in crisis or distress. It is specifically valuable for community leaders, health workers, emergency first responders, teachers, and social workers, as well as friends, family and colleagues of people impacted by trauma. The certificate is valid for three years.

Sandra gained valuable knowledge from the course, and was very impressed by the facilitators, and especially appreciated the hands-on training. Another CNF employee, Administrative Assistant Toni Bonacci, signed up for the Standard First Aid and CPR course with the Red Cross.

Facilitator Tammy shared that a Red Cross PFA course specifically designed for Indigenous communities is in the works. For more information, please contact bryan@pacificfirstaid.ca or programs@pacificfirstaid.ca.