Happy International Self-Care Day! In its honour, we’re talking about Psychological First Aid (PFA), the importance of self-care in the social service sector, and some strategies for taking care of ourselves as well as others.

First things first— what is self-care? Self-care refers to the activities and practices that we can regularly engage with to reduce stress and enhance both our short-term and long-term well-being. [1] The overarching theme around self-care among social service professionals is that “we cannot look after others if we cannot look after ourselves.” Working on the frontline can be both stressful and unpredictable, resulting in pent up stress and unaddressed emotions that can ultimately lead to major challenges later on, if left unchecked. Additionally, care providers are much more likely to experience vicarious trauma, which is a form of trauma resulting from exposure to the traumatic stories and experiences of others; vicarious trauma can significantly impact the mental health of care providers if they don’t have healthy coping mechanisms to avoid the pitfalls of burnout.

Given the high stress environment that Alpha House staff work in, the agency is always looking for ways to ensure that staff have tools and supports at their disposal to take care of themselves and others. Offering Psychological First Aid (PFA) training is one of the new ways the agency employs to promote well-being among staff. PFA is a 12-hour course that aims to equip learners with a personal understanding of the effects of stress, loss, trauma and grief on others, with an emphasis on self-care and personal protection. [2] A study conducted in Alberta looked at the effectiveness of PFA training in the social service sector showcasing that before the workshop less than half of the participants (45.9%) reported having strategies to maintain their wellness and self-care during a disaster; the post training survey revealed that after the workshops, 98.64% of participants now felt aware of the strategies needed to practice self-care and maintain their wellness. [3]

What does the course look like in practice? Overall, the course is very interactive— lots of topics are completed through group work; the continuous engagement and built-in activities allows for difficult topics to be covered in a positive environment where people can engage, observe, listen, or interact as they feel able. Our first few PFA trainings at Alpha House were taught through the Canadian Red Cross but we found it so valuable that several of our staff have since completed their Train the Trainer courses to get certified themselves. Providing the training in-house allows us to be more specific about the examples and strategies discussed in the course, and how they pertain to the population that we work with.

Building trust and rapport with clients is at the heart of frontline work in the social service sector, and part of this is knowing how to identify the emotional state of a client and approaching in a non-judgmental, empathetic manner. When we spend our time and energy meeting the social and psychological needs of others, it can become hard to find room to do the same for ourselves. PFA addresses this specifically and looks to teach individuals how to manage their own stress and emotional state as well as how to support co-workers in coping with the effects of various types of stress.

Recognizing when our co-workers are experiencing stress is a particularly critical element when the work is complex and reliant on teamwork. PFA isn’t about adding a co-worker’s stress to your already full emotional bandwidth, it’s about being able to rely on and support one-another to lighten the load for everybody.

Psychological First Aid touches on this with the 4L’s cycle— Look, Listen, Link, Live. This section explains the process of watching for signs of stress/trauma, the importance of active listening, providing links to people that may be required for support, and how to live with stress as a part of life. PFA discusses the 4L’s cycle in the context of analyzing oneself, then moves on to discuss how the same tools can be used to gauge the emotions of others, and provide support. A brief overview of the 4L’s cycle in the context of caring for others: [4]

Look for common indicators of stress

  • Signs of stress
  • Signs of distress
  • Nonverbal signs of communication
  • Are their basic needs covered?
  • Signs of violence
  • Individuals who require special attention
  • Resiliency

Listen in a calm and open manner

  • Be open to hearing their experiences
  • Listen to their experiences in a non-judgmental manner
  • Be aware of your tone and inflections
  • Consider the person’s age, gender, cultural background, etc.

Link to support systems by empowering them to connect

  • Resources to meet basic needs
  • Loved ones
  • Social, cultural, and religious support networks

Live with coping strategies and care for yourself so you can care for others

Throughout the course, participants have the opportunity to openly discuss the coping strategies they’ve found effective for managing stress including meditation, hobbies, and connecting with family and nature— to name a few popular options. PFA also discusses more formal approaches to resilience such as mental health counselling for individuals who would benefit from a more guided approach with a mental health professional. One of the topics in the course is ‘Creating a Self-Care Plan,’ which allows for reflective time where participants consider what self-care means to them, what practices they find works best for their situation, and when they feel self-care is most necessary for them.

It’s important to remember that practicing self-care isn’t a one-time thing, but something we have to engage with on an ongoing basis. Self-care can be impacted by external factors such as time or cost, making it hard to find a time where it makes sense to take care of oneself. PFA addresses this by asking participants to re-learn how self-care can be a part of daily living, and how they can incorporate it into their daily routines. Self-care practices are unique to each individual, and what works for one person, won’t necessarily work for another. However, a few starting ideas to incorporate self-care into your daily schedule could be starting a journal, morning meditations, or even watching a TV show without interruptions. Finding what works best for you and your schedule can take time; identifying strategies/activities with the right level of engagement and time commitment is a challenging ask in our fast-paced world.

The Simmons Faculty of Social Work offers some great general advice on how you can better maintain your well-being in the workplace: [5]

  • Take a break. It’s important to take some time away from the workplace and recharge, even if it’s a five-minute break to take a walk outside
  • Set short-term goals. Breaking down obligations into small, attainable chunks is a great way to turn a large daunting task into smaller actionable steps
  • Say no. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, resist the urge to take on new commitments that will add extra stress to your plate.
  • Create a support system. PFA does a great job of breaking down the various types of support systems into smaller categories: Personal Factors, Self, Relationships, Community, and Culture and Society. This is a great place to start if you’re looking to identify support systems within your reach
  • Connect with your emotions. When we feel anxiety or depression, our bodies are trying to tell us something. Try your best to listen and identify what you need; seek help from a mental health professional if you’re feeling stuck
  • Practice mindfulness. Easier said than done! Try your best to find a moment for yourself, do some breathing exercises, engage in an activity like yoga, or anything else you find helps you with mindfulness

If you’re interested in learning more about the course, check out the Canadian Red Cross website for more details.

[1] https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/self-care-starter-kit/introduction-to-self-care.html#:~:text=Self%2Dcare%20is%20an%20essential,term%20health%20and%20well%2Dbeing.

[2] https://www.redcross.ca/training-and-certification/course-descriptions/psychological-first-aid/psychological-first-aid

[3] https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts.v17i1.1269

[4] https://www.redcross.ca/crc/documents/19-0420PS-PFA_Pocket_Guide_2020_EN_FA.pdf

[5] https://online.simmons.edu/blog/self-care-for-social-service-professionals/