HUMBOLDT — Recognizing and assisting those in crisis after a traumatic event was the focus as the Humboldt and District Chamber of Commerce marked the return of its educational lunches.
Tawni Lueke of Lifesaver First Aid and Aquatics talked about psychological first aid, a new course developed by the Red Cross.
“It supports the emotional, psychological and social well being of communities and it equips learners to develop a personal understanding of the effects of loss, trauma, grief, and stress with emphasis on personal protection and self care,” she said.
Psychological first aid is not mental first aid. Psychological first aid focuses on giving non-mental health professionals the tools to help themselves and other to counter the reactions that interfere with normal coping in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event. Mental first aid is about giving support to people that may be developing a mental health issue until appropriate professional help can be secured.
Lueke said she and one other person took the courses needed to train people in psychological first aid in January. She said her company has been giving first aid, CPR and aquatic training for a number of years.
“Very few people have this training, so we're looking to integrate it into different workplaces and personal interests,” she said. “We're hoping that people develop an interest in this course.”
The techniques taught are just useful for recognizing and helping people dealing with trauma, it also acts as a daily aid to face the stresses of life.
Brent Fitzpatrick, the chamber’s executive director, said his organization plans to organize educational lunches that give business owners that give practical “dirt under your nails” tips.
“When I saw this course being offered in town here, I just thought it was the absolute perfect way to start off the reinvigoration of the Chamber of Commerce lunches,” he said.
The executive director said the chamber is planning to host the lunches every second month, to better fit into the schedules of busy business owners.
“I don't want them to be overburdened with coming to these kinds of lunches, but I want to make them important enough that they will,” he said.
The next lunches that Fitzpatrick plans to organize include a session on cybersecurity and a session on applying virtual reality for business needs.
