Helping children and adolescents recover from disaster: A review of teacher-based support programs in Victorian schools

Children and adolescents are among the most vulnerable in the aftermath of a disaster. Following the devastating Victorian bushfires in 2009 the Victorian Department of Education, in partnership with Phoenix Australia: Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health and a child adolescent mental health expert, adapted two U.S. programs that provide teachers with knowledge and skills to support child and adolescent recovery in the school setting. This paper provides an overview of the two-phased approach to teacher training. The first phase was the development of a manual, Psychological First Aid and Mental Health First Aid: A Guide for Teachers. The first component, Psychological First Aid, is designed to develop teacher skills in supporting children and adolescents in the first days and weeks after an emergency or disaster. The next component, Mental Health First Aid, aims to help teachers recognise signs and symptoms of mental health problems in their students in order to facilitate appropriate and timely referral to specialist services. The second phase involved the development of online training, Skills for Psychological Recovery for Teachers, designed to give teachers direction and skills for teaching children and adolescents with mild to moderate distress effective ways of coping in the weeks, months and possibly years after a disaster. This phase also included incorporating the Psychological First Aid and Mental Health First Aid programs into an online training format.