About this course
Working or volunteering in disaster response and recovery can be deeply meaningful, but it can also take a toll. This 60-minute online course is designed to help you strengthen your ability to care for yourself while caring for others. Throughout the course you’ll learn to recognise the impacts, and practical things you can do to look after yourself before, during and after a demanding period. Most importantly, you'll develop your own downloadable self-care plan that you can refer to beyond the course.
Course content
By completing this course, you will be able to:
- Describe the unique demands and stressors associated with working in disaster contexts, and how these differ from other high-pressure environments.
- Recognise the signs and effects of stress and trauma that can arise during and after disaster response or recovery work.
- Explain the concept of resilience in disaster contexts and identify the personal, social, and organisational factors that help maintain strength and stability under pressure.
- Develop a personal 3-step self-care plan to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the demands of disaster work.
- Identify when self-care strategies are not enough and outline appropriate steps for seeking additional professional or organisational support.
Access to this self-paced online course is provided for 6 months from the enrolment date.
Who should do this course?
If your role involves supporting people affected by disasters, this flexible, self-paced online course will help you to stay well so that you can continue doing this vital work safely and sustainably. It is suitable for disaster responders, recovery workers, emergency services personnel, healthcare workers, community service workers, local government staff, volunteers and peer supporters. No prior mental health training or qualifications are required.
