Stress First Aid is a self-care and peer support model developed for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and since adapted for civilian first responders and healthcare providers. It includes seven actions that can help you identify and address early signs of stress reactions in yourself and others in an ongoing way. As staff in a long-term care facility, you have the stress of caring for vulnerable individuals with serious medical and cognitive issues who may be reacting poorly to extended social isolation. Stress First Aid offers a flexible framework of tools for addressing stress reactions that can hopefully reduce the likelihood that these reactions will develop into more severe or long-term problems.
Stress First Aid
What is Stress First Aid?
Stress First Aid Toolkit
Long-term care staff are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic response, working hard to protect residents from the threat of infection. To help long-term care staff develop more effective self-care and coworker support, we’ve adapted a model that was designed to mitigate stress in military settings.
Stress First Aid Module on CollaborNation
There is another free Stress First Aid training module in the Geriatric Education area of the training site CollaborNation. It can be taken for continuing education units.
Instructions on setting up an account and getting to the course can be found here.
Stress First Aid Resources
SAMSHA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Links to search for local providers, multiple national hotline numbers
Schwartz Center Compassion in Action Archive (webinars)
- Caring with compassion: Supporting patients and families in a crisis
- Leading with compassion: Supporting healthcare workers in a crisis
- Caring for yourself and others during the COVID-19 pandemic: Managing healthcare workers’ stress
- Recognition and gratitude: Why it matters to patients, families, and healthcare
National Center for PTSD Coronavirus Websites
Larger Lists of Mental Health Support Resources and Ideas
- New York Project Hope: Coping with COVID-19
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center
- National Academy of Medicine Resources for Clinicians
- Stress First Aid as a Form of Peer Support (article)
Leadership Resources
- Supporting your staff during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Resources for times of crisis
- How leaders can maximize trust and minimize stress
Grief/Bereavement
- Grief during COVID-19 pandemic (article)
- Chaplaincy Innovation Laboratory
- Funerals and Dying in Absentia
- The Discomfort of Grief
Apps
- Headspace - Free Access to US healthcare professionals through 2020
- COVID Coach
- Mindfulness Coach
- Gratitude apps
- Mindfulness apps
- Affirmations
- Meditation
-
Artificial Intelligence based apps: Free to download, some connect to real therapist for fee