The Russian Red Cross (RRC), the oldest humanitarian organisation in the country, has formed a federal team of psychologists to respond to emergency situations. The new team will be actively involved in providing assistance to victims and psychological support in crisis situations.
Today the training of specialists starts, which is aimed at acquiring practical and organisational skills for effective response to emergency situations.
Leila Gadzhimagomedova, Head of Psychosocial Support Division of the Russian Red Cross, noted the importance of creating a federal team of rapid response psychologists and its training.
«The establishment of a federal team of rapid response psychologists is an important step towards ensuring an effective response to emergencies. It is important to realise that we can never predict what the reaction of an injured person will be, as it is individual to each person - be it a child or an adult. Therefore, the professionals on the federal psychology team must have a diverse knowledge of human psychology, psychological care, and ways to respond to stress in order to assist in the most effective way possible» – she emphasised.
The education of the new team of specialists takes place from 4 to 18 March 2024. The course "Organisation and Provision of Emergency Psychological Assistance to Victims in Emergency Situations" is online and will cover 36 hours. The training is attended by 30 people, including specialists from the RSC's regional psychosocial support offices and volunteer psychologists. The training is conducted by the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution "Centre for Emergency Psychological Assistance" of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.
Participants will receive skills in solving professional problems in providing psychological assistance to victims, as well as skills in minimising the risks of negative consequences of traumatic stress.
Upon completion of the training, 25 people will receive certificates of advanced training, and 5 people will receive certificates of trainees.
