The Department of Social Welfare and Department Field Office Caraga recently concluded its Regional Training of Trainers (TOT) on Handling Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services for the Pool of Psychosocial First Aid (PFA) providers, November 22-25, 2023 at the Balai La Nina, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte.

Resource Persons (RP) from the Motivation Philippines Inc., Al Azanereeh Madale (Executive Director), and Alvin Eugene Tutor, discussed the Concepts on Stress (Traumatic stress and resilience and their relation to psychosocial approach), Significance of real-time resilience and action peers (Application in individual daily undertakings), and Understanding Psychosocial Support Services and Psychological First Aid.

The RPs also uniquely discussed the various PFA methodologies through demonstration and various hand-on activities, and also explained and demonstrated the concept of Expressive Arts Therapy.

HRMDD Division Chief Mary Chill Momo then presented Administrative Order 23, series of 2021 or the Creation of the DSWD Committee on Mental Health, which also became the basis of the creation of a functional pool of Regional PSS/PFA providers for the Field Office.

With this, the Pool of PFA Providers are now ready to cascade their learnings to the other workers of the Field Office, ready to provide PFA, especially in times of disasters.