Webinar #6: Psychological First Aid – Listen Protect Connect/Model and Teach

This training was specifically designed as a five-step crisis response strategy based on communication skills that educators and school staff use every day. Although initially introduced in response to targeted school violence, such as school shootings and other acts of violence on a school campus, the goals of Psychological First Aid for Schools – Listen Protect Connect/Model and Teach have relevance to the COVID-19 pandemic which has seriously disrupted the daily lives over children and adults all over the world. The closure of schools and businesses adds to the health risks faced by all which contribute to the stresses that students and adults face under orders of physical distancing, stay at home directives or quarantine conditions. Given the levels of internet and web connectivity for students, being at home doesn’t have to mean being cut off from teachers, school support staff, classmates and friends.

Presented by:
Vivien Villaverde, MS SW, PPSC, LCSW is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Field Education Department of the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and a member of the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center for Schools. She is a trained School Social Worker who was affiliated with the Los Angeles Unified School District for about 10 years. Prof. Villaverde has expertise in trauma-informed intervention, disaster/crisis response and trauma-responsive program development. She has extensive background in collaboration and education systems change. Her expertise includes training and consultation with school districts in trauma-responsive transformation including program development, EBP training, and policy development. Prof. Villaverde collaborates with the California Department of Education and has partnered internationally with South Korea and the Republic of the Philippines. In addition, she uses the “Social Responses to the Human Impacts of Climate Change” Grand Challenge in her disaster response planning work in Asia. She is also the Teaching Institution (TI) Coordinator at the School of Social Work. As the Coordinator, she engages in different innovation to promote university-community partnership for quality MSW internship and for community capacity-building.

Pamela Vona, MA, MPH, is currently the Program Manager for the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center for Resilience, Hope and Wellness in Schools. Her interests include understanding how to support the implementation of trauma practices in the school setting. Specifically, her work has focused on how web-based platforms can support training in and implementation of evidence-based practices in schools. Ms. Vona served as a lead developer of the Trauma Responsive School Implementation Assessment—an online assessment designed to help schools improve their trauma-responsiveness. She is also leading the development of the Trauma Informed Skills for Developers (TISE) curriculum designed to enhance educators’ trauma knowledge and skills. Ms. Vona serves on the School Committee Workgroup for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) and previously was a member of the NCTSN Policy Task Force.

Accessibility accommodations available by request. Please contact [email protected]