Last October 7, 2023, the UPD Ugnayan ng Pahinungod organized a PFA Orientation-Workshop for the Neurodevelopmental Disability Advocates Group. The one-day orientation was held via Zoom and was divided into two sessions. The first session focused on the basics of Psychological First Aid, covering its definition, who it applies to, where and when to use it, and how to implement it. Following that, the second session centered around Mental Health and Wellness Skills.
The orientation-workshop was attended by twenty-seven members from the various organizations under the Neurodevelopmental Disability Advocates Group, namely: Adutls with ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Society of the Philippines (ADHDSP), Filipino Autistic Self-Advocacy Team (FAST Inc.), Philippine Neurodivergent Self-Advocates (PhiNSA), Families of Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Philippines (FIND Phils.), Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP), Adult ADHD PH Support Group, and OCD Pilipinas.
The facilitation of the seminar was led by Junior Project Associate Ms. Maria Theresa D. Lucas, RSW, with Peer Support Volunteer Trainers Dr. Gino Angelo Velasco, Dr. Manuel Joseph Loquias, and Ms. Gia Evangelista, RSW serving as the resource persons for the event. The orientation-workshop followed a lecture-discussion format, incorporating short activities and interactive questions to actively engage the participants throughout the presentation. PSP Lead Facilitators Dr. Jowima Ang-Reyes and Dr. Michelle Ong fielded queries and clarifications.
Overall, the orientation-workshop on Psychological First Aid / peer support was given a rating of 92.86%, in consideration of the event’s accomplishment of its goals, sufficiency of the activities, knowledge of facilitators/speakers, relevance of the session, knowledge on PFA retained by participants, provision of assistance, and organization of the event. Participants remarked that their biggest takeaways included: knowledge on the resiliency zones, as described in the Community Resiliency Model, that understanding and listening are components of being able to help others, and that providers of PFA should be sure to take care of themselves before offering help to others.
