The Humanitarian Disaster Institute (HDI) at Wheaton College has launched a new online Spiritual First Aid training and certificate course designed to help individuals offer virtual peer-to-peer spiritual and emotional support during COVID-19, disasters and other challenging times. It is designed for lay leaders, church leaders, first responders and anyone who would like to provide support to those who are struggling during the pandemic.
“As the pandemic wears on, the spiritual and emotional needs around us are great—and growing. The good news is, you don’t have to be a professional psychologist to offer support that makes a difference,” says Jamie Aten, Ph.D., founder and co-director of HDI and lead developer of Spiritual First Aid. “This course steps into the gap to equip anyone with the tools to understand and respond to these needs and keep them from getting worse in the long-run. In this training, you’ll learn all the skills be equipped with the resources, and gain the knowledge you need to be able to make a difference to a hurting world.”
Through readings, online lectures, and additional resources, this course will equip individuals to use Spiritual First Aid’s easy-to-use BLESS method, which takes the “guesswork” out of providing disaster spiritual and emotional care remotely and while staying at home.
The course will take approximately 10 hours to complete, with content including:
• 8 unique training videos with accompanying readings
• 5 role-play scenario videos and 5 expert commentary videos to see Spiritual First Aid in action
• Final assessment
• Certificate of completion
Also included is access to a curated selection of free HDI resources, including:
• 7+ hours of videos with speakers such as N.T. Wright, Eugene Cho, and Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil
• 3 manuals regarding Spiritual First Aid and COVID-19 mental health
• 10+ additional tip sheets and resources
• Access to 4 extra mini-courses.
Individual registration costs $99, with group and organizational discounts available. Learn more about course offerings and pricing here.
“We know that people can experience less distress when they receive spiritual support from people in their church or community. Becoming certified in Spiritual First Aid will equip you to be that support for others,” says HDI co-director Kent Annan, M.Div.
For more information or to sign up, click here.