In the framework of the “Psychological First Aid and Psychosocial Support in Complex Emergencies” project, on 8 April 2019 a training workshop was organised for volunteers and employees of the Red Cross of Serbia with a view to improving the capacities in this important area. The workshop covered three topics: psychological first aid, psychosocial support and help to helpers.

The participants learned about the fundamentals of psychological first aid (PFA), including humane and practical assistance and support to people affected by an emergency. This kind of aid includes both social and psychological support. Also presented was the framework for providing support with mandatory respect for human dignity, culture and all other kinds of difference and opportunities.

The second part of the workshop was about psychosocial support and its importance in building the resilience of an individual, a family and a community. The Red Cross of Serbia, as is its mission, provides psychosocial support interventions aiming at whole communities with a view to strengthening social ties between their members in times of disasters, so that psychosocial wellbeing of individuals and the community as a whole is improved. Strengthening individuals and communities is the core objective of psychosocial programmes, with a special attention paid ti participatory approach.

Help to helpers is an important part of psychosocial support as self-help and peer to peer help also help us take better care of others.

All the activities at the workshop were interactive, with group work, examples and practical solutions to realistic problems (for example, an airplane crash). 20 volunteers and staff participated.

This workshop is a part of the regional project “Psychological First Aid and Psychosocial Support in Complex Emergencies” funded by European Union. Along with the Red Cross of Serbia, the project includes Italian Red Cross, Slovenian Red Cross, Croatian Red Cross, Red Cross of North Macedonia and Austrian Red Cross who also acts as coordinator.