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Stress First Aid

Stress First Aid (SFA) is a framework to improve recovery from stress reactions, both in oneself and in coworkers. The model aims to support and validate good friendship, mentorship and leadership actions through core actions that help to identify and address early signs of stress reactions in an ongoing way (not just after "critical incidents").

The goal of SFA is to identify stress reactions in self and others along a continuum and to help reduce the likelihood that stress outcomes develop into more severe or long-term problems. The core actions of SFA are appropriate for many occupational settings during critical events as well as for ongoing care. The manuals, trainings and resources below focus on animal care workers, however this work was originally developed for high-risk occupations like healthcare during COVID-19, military, fire and rescue, and law enforcement.

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Stress First Aid Manual for Animal Welfare Workers

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Stress First Aid Implementation Guide

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Stress First Aid for Animal Welfare Workers Workbook

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The Stress First Aid for Animal Care Workers Resources have been adapted by Jessica Dolce from the original Stress First Aid for Health Care Workers Manual and materials, developed by Patricia Watson of the National Center for PTSD and Richard Westphal of the University of Virginia.
 
SFA for Animal Care Workers and The SFA for Health Care Workers Manual and materials may be copied and distributed without permission. The original work resides in the public domain, but the work of the original authors is still protected. Those authors - Patricia Watson and Richard Westphal - request that any subsequent use of this material be given appropriate attribution and acknowledgment.

You can learn more about permissions and find other resources here: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/type/stress_first_aid.asp 

Animal Care Expo attendees: Access the Stress First Aid 101 Handout

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