Psychological First Aid Instructor Bios Steve ...

[Pages:2]Psychological First Aid Instructor Bios

Steve Christenberry, M.S., LMLP

Steve has worked in the mental health field for 30 years, first as a mental health technician at Topeka State Hospital and over 26 years at Family Service and Guidance Center. He received his Bachelor's degree in psychology from Emporia State University in 1986 and his Master's degree in clinical psychology from ESU in 1989. Steve's experience at FSGC includes the provision of group, individual, family therapy, hospital preadmission screens, and psychological assessments. He was the agency's first community based services director, in charge of the Special Services Department. Steve has been the Director of Clinical Services since 1995. Steve is a Mental Health First Aid trainer for the Adult and the Youth curricula, and is a Psychological First Aid trainer through the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the American Red Cross.

Wes Jones, Ph.D.

Dr. Jones received his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family therapy from Kansas State University and worked at the Mental Health Center of East Central Kansas for 35 years. He maintains a private practice through the Flint Hills Counseling & Consulting Center. He has been an instructor at the undergraduate and graduate level, and has been a presenter at various conferences on training events related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, disaster mental health, and traumatic stress. He is a Diplomate, American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and Board Certified in Traumatic Stress. Dr. Jones is also a Clinical and Supervisory member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. He has been a volunteer and responder providing disaster mental health services through the American Red Cross and has provided those services locally and regionally.

Tom Pletcher, M.S., LCP, LCAC

Tom brings thirty years of community mental health work and over twenty years of experience directly related to disaster response and working with emergency responders. He received his Bachelor's degree in psychology from Ottawa (KS) University and his Master's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Wyoming. He is licensed as a Clinical Psychotherapist and Clinical Addiction Counselor (KS). He has received trauma and disaster response training through the American Red Cross, the National Organization of Victim Assistance, and other national groups. He provides training on disaster psychology, Psychological First Aid (NCTSN/ NCPTSD and American Red Cross), and FEMA's Crisis Counseling and Assistance Training Program to responder groups and professionals. He is a Supervisor in Disaster Mental Health for the American Red Cross and has responded through that organization and for local and regional disasters. He is a Diplomate in the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and is Board Certified in Traumatic Stress.

Psychological First Aid Training

Purpose

Approaches to early intervention for the psychosocial impacts of disaster and terrorism are advancing rapidly with new research and practical experience. These new standards for evidence-informed best practices for early assistance are presented in the context of the Psychological First Aid Field Operations Guide (2nd Edition), produced by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the National Center for PTSD. This six-hour workshop will provide an overview of basic principles, objectives, and intervention strategies for providing Psychological First Aid to diverse populations in the acute aftermath of terrorism and disaster events. We encourage participants to preview the PFA Field Operations Guide online at ptsd.professional/materials/manuals/psych-first-aid.asp .

Target Audience

The primary target audience for this training is any individual or responder in a position to interact with those impacted by terrorism or a disaster. Techniques are useful in any situation where a person is experiencing an acute stress response to an event. Groups that have found this information to be helpful include health care professionals, public health responders, mental health professionals, first responders, (e.g., fire and law enforcement officials), as well as clergy, educators, and others who may be providing humanitarian assistance immediately post-disaster.

Objectives

Upon completion, participants involved in this training will have developed competency to:

1. Describe the five empirically-supported early intervention principles that underlie PFA (safety, calming, connectedness, self-efficacy, and hope).

2. Identify the eight core actions of PFA. 3. Describe how the information gathering used in PFA differs from formal mental health

assessments in traditional clinical settings. 4. List examples of how to select and tailor PFA interventions (using the Field Operations Guide as

a reference) based upon the information gathered from the survivor. 5. Describe ways in which to care for yourself as a provider before, during, and after disaster

response.

6. Recognize examples of how to deliver PFA when working with children, elderly adults, and

people with disabilities.

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download