Aim
Mission Support was established in Canberra in early 2013 to meet an identified need for training, development and support in the fields of crisis Intervention and chaplaincy.
The aim of Mission Support is to provide training in the specific areas of Critical Incident Stress Management and Chaplaincy, using this to develop crisis intervention and peer support programs, plus teams and individuals to come alongside people in crisis.
But How?
We will work with employers and community organisations to establish and fund ongoing ‘peer support’ programs, whereby people can talk to, and get confidential support and assistance from, suitably trained colleagues who can identify with what they’re going through. The old saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ has some truth to it.
This training would include elements of psychological first aid and also courses in Critical Incident Stress Management. These trainings are specifically aimed at dealing with issues early on, and can often avoid the need for someone to undertake professional counselling. Of course we do need to know where the boundary between ‘first aid’ and therapy falls, so teaching emphasises that we should not do more than we are trained to do: if in doubt, refer to a mental health professional.