Psychological First Aid Field Operations Guide. 2nd Edition

Psychological first aid (PFA) intervention strategies are intended for use with children, adolescents, parents/caretakers, families, adults, first responders, disaster relief workers and other staff members exposed to distress in an emergency. PFA includes basic information-gathering techniques to help providers make rapid assessments of survivors’ immediate concerns and needs, and to suggested supportive activities in a flexible manner. PFA also emphasizes developmentally and culturally appropriate interventions for survivors of various ages and backgrounds and includes handouts that provide important coping strategies, tips and other useful information for youth, adults, and families. Developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and the National Center for PTSD.