[Commpsych] FW: Free disaster support group training in Adelaide next week - Thursday April 2nd, 9am-1pm

[Heather Gridley]

Dear SA colleagues and friends

You may have seen this notice already if you're an APS member, but can I encourage you to consider participating in this free half-day workshop in Adelaide next week, and/or encouraging your colleagues to consider it - they don't need to be APS members or even necessarily psychologists - just mental health professionals with some experience in running groups, who also have experience in disaster recovery or other areas of traumatic stress or grief. Rob Gordon is a wonderful facilitator with an enormous amount of practice wisdom to share. The catch is that you do need to make yourself available at some future date to run disaster support groups on a voluntary basis for people who have been affected by a disaster. But not everyone who participates in the training will be called on by Red Cross to lead a group, and those who do will find it a very rewarding experience I'm told.

Warm regards

Heather


Heather Gridley

Honorary Fellow

College of Arts

Victoria University

Melbourne, Australia



E: heather.gridley at vu.edu.au<mailto:heather.gridley at vu.edu.au>

Ph: +61 419113731



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DISASTER RESPONSE NETWORK NEWS

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A quarterly update of the APS Disaster Response Network (DRN)









  *   Disaster support group training Adelaide 2nd April






Dear South Australian APS members
The APS have been closely following the aftermath of the bushfires in SA late last year, and helping the SA Branch with some of their activities to help promote psychosocial recovery.
There has been some interest in support groups amongst the people in the fire affected communities, and to this end, APS are partnering with Red Cross to train psychologists in running disaster support groups.  A free half-day workshop will be run on the 2nd April in Adelaide for people who would like to participate in this project.  We would love to have your involvement.  Please also feel free to forward this information to your networks.  People do not have to be psychologists to attend.
Regards,
[http://www.psychology.org.au/ext/Downloads/autograph.gif]
Dr Susie Burke
Public Interest, Environment and Disaster Response







Disaster support group training Adelaide 2nd April

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We are seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified mental health professionals interested in volunteering to run disaster support groups for people who have been affected by a disaster. Red Cross is planning to offer support groups to communities in the Adelaide Hills fire-affected regions, but also will consider doing so for any future disasters.
Social support is key to recovery post disaster. Disaster support groups are a valuable aid to psychosocial recovery. They enable people in similar situations to share knowledge, experience, and psychosocial support with each other.
Australian Red Cross and the APS are partnering to run a disaster support group workshop for mental health professionals with experience in running groups, who also have experience in disaster recovery or other areas of traumatic stress or grief.
After the workshop we may ask you to volunteer time to facilitate monthly support groups of 1 to 2 hours as part of Red Cross Psychosocial Recovery programs if the need arises. In the event of a disaster affecting a particular region, these groups might involve travel to rural communities and need to be in the evening. Experience in other states indicates they may be required for more than a year as various issues arise in the course of recovery. Please consider if you can commit this time when deciding whether you would like to participate; continuity is essential to the groups’ effectiveness. People conducting such groups have found them a unique, creative and deeply satisfying professional experience.
Our Adelaide workshop will take place on
Thursday April 2nd, from 9am to 1pm
at the Adelaide Red Cross office,
212 Pirie Street, Adelaide.
The workshop will be facilitated by Dr Rob Gordon FAPS, an experienced disaster psychologist who has established and coordinated support groups after disasters such as the Black Saturday bushfires, the Bali Bombings, and the East Asian tsunami. The training will include an orientation to working in the disaster context, core principles of support groups, and practical information about running support groups following a disaster in Australia.

There is no fee for the workshop, which is likely to be claimable for CPD points.
Since the disaster support groups are an intervention targeted at psychological recovery, it is important that the Group Facilitators are able to discuss and answer questions about mental health issues in a credible and authoritative manner.
Essential:
·         A post-graduate qualification in a mental health area
·         A minimum of 3 years clinical experience in mental health and/or counselling
·         Experience in running groups
Desirable:  Experience in disaster recovery or other areas of traumatic stress.
If you think you would be suitable and can commit to conducting support groups following a disaster, please confirm your attendance at this workshop including an up-to-date CV, by emailing us at drn at psychology.org.au<mailto:drn at psychology.org.au>.



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