# Emotional First Aid — A Peer Supporter's Handbook

*Adapted for NIPE from the WHO's public-domain "Psychological First Aid: Guide for Field Workers" (2011), and open guidance from SAMHSA and the NIH.*

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## The three-step frame: **Look → Listen → Link**

### 1. LOOK
- Is the person safe? Are you safe?
- What are they showing (crying, shutting down, panicking)?
- What do they seem to need right now — quiet, company, water, an adult?

### 2. LISTEN
- Sit or stand beside them, not over them.
- Ask permission: *"Do you want to talk, or should I just sit with you?"*
- Reflect feelings before facts.

### 3. LINK
- Connect them to a trusted adult, counsellor, or family member when the situation is beyond peer support.
- Stay with them until help arrives if they are in distress.

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## Red flags — get an adult now

- Talk of ending their life or hurting themselves.
- Disclosure of abuse or violence.
- Sudden inability to speak, move, or respond.
- Any medical emergency.

## Green practices — every day

- **Co-regulate**: match the calm you want them to feel.
- **Name it to tame it**: labelling emotions reduces their intensity.
- **Small acts, repeated**: a check-in message tomorrow matters.

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**Sources (public domain):**
- WHO, *Psychological First Aid: Guide for Field Workers* (2011).
- SAMHSA, *Disaster Distress Helpline* public materials.
- NIH / NIMH, *Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Traumatic Events*.