DSWD6 Hosts Trauma-Informed Support, Psychological First Aid Workshop For Visayas Frontliners

MALAY, Aklan – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI is conducting a five-day Trauma-Informed Support and Psychological First Aid Workshop for Frontliners (Batch 5) starting Monday up to tomorrow in Malay, Aklan.

This five-day workshop brings together frontliners and partner representatives from the DSWD FO VI and VII, Negros Island Region (NIR), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Philippine National Police (PNP), alongside the department’s staff from Visayas Cluster, and the DSWD Academy, in partnership with the Ateneo de Manila, to strengthen knowledge and practical skills in providing trauma-informed support and Psychological First Aid (PFA) to children and adolescents.

During the opening program, Assistant Regional Director for Operations (ARDO) Katherine Joy M. Lamprea, on behalf of Regional Director Joselito G. Estember, welcomed the participants and expressed her appreciation to the partner agencies, fellow DSWD colleagues, technical experts, and resource persons whose presence and expertise contribute to the success of the workshop.

Assistant Bureau Director Precilia A. Docuyanan also expressed gratefulness to the host region, participants and partners as she emphasizing the importance of strengthening the capacity of frontliners to become better prepared, more compassionate, and more responsive in times of crisis and distress.

On the first day of the workshop, Assistant Secretary Janet P. Armas of the Regulatory Services and Institutional Development Group discussed the importance of adopting a multidisciplinary policy and approach. The sessions also laid the foundation for the workshop by covering key topics on stress reactions and psychosocial support while on the second day, the discussions deepened the participants’ understanding of child protection and juvenile justice, case management, multidisciplinary approaches, trauma and resilience, and the principles of trauma-informed responses.

On the third day, learning moves from understanding to application as participants delve into the concepts and steps of Psychological First Aid (PFA). Through discussions, hands-on activities, pair practice, and processing, participants are given opportunities to translate the concepts learned into practical helping skills that can be applied in real-life situations.

As the learning continues, participants are not only strengthening individual competencies but also building connections and partnerships that can support more coordinated and meaningful responses in times of need. Because healing is a shared responsibility, and resilience is strengthened when we respond together./
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