What's Happening in Kirkland, WA…

An upcoming workshop will equip attendees with knowledge of how to support others experiencing trauma and stress.

The ASAP – Acute Stress Adaptive Protocol Peer Support Training will explore psychoeducation with regard to trauma and stress, discuss why the type of trauma they must face is unique to first responders, and how colleagues can gain the confidence they need to support their peers using this method.

The ASAP training course is designed for clinicians, chaplains, and peer support teams working with other first responders. It uses an intervention based on the EMDR method; the acronym stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. A former police officer designed the method to help mitigate the acute and repeated character of traumatic stress. The protocol is the result of more than 30 years working in this field.

The protocol is administered by peers to peers and is an intervention that can be used in both an individual and group setting. Research into the method has found it to be efficient, relevant, effective, and safe, and that it decreases first responders’ symptoms of trauma stress by 44%.

The protocol is a four-day course that will be held May 4-7, from 8.00 am until 5.00 pm each day at the Kirkland Police Department, 11750 NE 118th Street. Organizers of events like this can use brochure printing to create needed course materials for the students.