Stress First Aid
Stress First Aid (SFA) is an evidence-informed self-care and peer support model based on factors that promote recovery from adversity and stress. It was originally developed by the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (NCPTSD) for the U.S. military and has been adapted for other high-risk occupations. We have adapted the model for Schwartz Center members in partnership with NCPTSD psychologist Dr. Patricia Watson, a co-author of the Stress First Aid framework.
Core concepts of Stress First Aid include the Stress Continuum and the Seven Cs of Stress First Aid. Learn more about the Schwartz Center’s Stress First Aid Training programs here.
The Stress Continuum: Circumstances & Features
Our sense of well-being is dynamic, and everyone moves among the zones of the Stress Continuum — green, yellow, orange and red — depending on the circumstances they are experiencing, whether at work, at home or in other areas of their life. In the Stress First Aid framework, we always want to see people moving toward green. Using the core actions of Stress First Aid — the 7 Cs — can help.
The Seven Cs of Stress First Aid
In the SFA model, the five factors have been adapted to become seven core actions, otherwise known as “The Seven Cs.”
- Check: Asses, observe and listen
- Coordinate: Get help, refer as needed
- Cover: Get to safety ASAP
- Calm: Relax, slow down, refocus
- Connect: Get support from others
- Competence: Restore effectiveness
- Confidence: Restore self-esteem and hope
When people experience stressors, one or more of the Cs can be employed to bring them back toward wellness. Whether employing the core actions for self-care or to support others, the Cs provide us with a set of tools that can help mitigate stress.
Stress First Aid: Essential Skills
The 7 Cs and the stress continuum are combined with the three essential skills to recognize when someone has a stress injury, to act using the core actions, and know what strategies will work best for you as both a person providing self-care or as someone providing others with peer support.
Stress First Aid Training
We offer two SFA training opportunities: Stress First Aid Basics and Stress First Aid Train the Trainer.
Stress First Aid Basics
- Available to all staff at your member organization
- Asynchronous and available at any time
- Consists of a one-hour presentation by Schwartz Center CMO Beth Lown, MD, plus materials and resources for creating your SFA team, introducing SFA to your leadership team, and supporting staff
- Recommended prior to Train the Trainer enrollment
- At the end of the course, participants will have foundational understanding of the core concepts of Stress First Aid and resources to help you introduce it to colleagues.
Stress First Aid Train the Trainer
- Offered in quarterly cohorts of 5 to 8 Organizational Teams
- Consists of more than five hours of asynchronous coursework and four to five hours of Zoom meetings over three months
- At the end of the program, your team will be engaged in creating a customized plan for implementing SFA at your organization
Which Stress First Aid Course Is Right for Me?
To determine which SFA program is right for you, we recommend completing our seven-minute course Stress First Aid: An Overview of Schwartz Center Programs. To enroll, please visit the Member Learning Center and select from the Course Catalog. If this is your first time logging in to the Member Learning Center, fill out our account request form.
This course will briefly describe:
- What Stress First Aid is
- The objectives and benefits of the Stress First Aid Basics course
- An overview of the Stress First Aid Train the Trainer Program
- Next steps for enrolling in SFA Basics or expressing organizational interest in SFA Train the Trainer
We look forward to working with you to bring Stress First Aid to your organization.
If you would like to enroll in Stress First Aid Basics, please visit the Member Learning Center and select from the Course Catalog. If this is your first time logging in to the Member Learning Center, fill out our account request form.
If you have completed the Overview of Schwartz Center Programs and would like to enroll your team in an upcoming Stress First Aid Train the Trainer cohort, please fill out the Stress First Aid Team Interest Form.
If you have questions, please contact your Member Experience Advisor or email membership@theschwartzcenter.org.