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Sichuan Disaster: AAMH coordinates MH 1st Aid Training

AusAID recently sponsored AAMH to assemble and coordinate a team of Australian experts to deliver psychological first aid training in Sichuan. 

 

The  team was led by Prof. Beverley Raphael (Chair, National Taskforce for Disaster Mental Health and Professor, Population Mental Health and Disasters at the University of Western Sydney),  Andrew Coghlan (National Manager, Red Cross) and Dr Robert Parker (Director of Psychiatry, Top End Mental Health Serivices, Northern Territory). A/Prof. Chee Ng and Julia Fraser (Co-Directors of AAMH) facilitated the training program in conjunction with Peking University Institute of Mental Health.

 

The 3-day training program occurred in mid-July, 2008 in Chengdu and was very positively received by the participants. The program was the first disaster mental health training conducted by an overseas agency to be officially recognised by the Chinese government.  

 

AAMH aims to facilitate placements for 2-3 Chinese mental health professionals, sponsored by RANZCP,  to undertake training in Australia in disaster mental health and interventions during the coming months.

 

View a presentation about AAMH's Mental Health First Aid training in Sichuan.

 

For further information about this project, please see Sichuan Earthquake Mental Health First Aid Training,  Protecting Children in Disasters and China.

 

Sichuan MH 1st Aid Training participants and trainers

 

Above: Trainers and participants of the mental health first aid training in Sichuan