Strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Preparedness in Emergencies - Frequently Asked Questions

• Thanks to funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canadian Red Cross is delivering the ‘Strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Preparedness in Emergencies’ initiative. 
• This is a national effort to strengthen community capacity and resilience and improve how organizations across Canada respond to the mental health and psychosocial impacts of emergencies. 

• Canada is experiencing more frequent and severe emergencies, leading to increased mental health and psychosocial needs that can continue long after an event ends. 
• This initiative helps ensure communities are better prepared to support mental health before, during, and after emergencies. 

This initiative has two core components: 

• Psychological First Aid (PFA) training to build practical skills for individuals and organizations 
• Roundtable discussions to develop a preparedness toolkit to strengthen coordination and improve support across communities 

More details will be shared as components are rolled out. 

This initiative helps communities by: 

• Building local capacity to respond to mental health and psychosocial needs.  
• Providing practical tools and training.  
• Strengthening coordination between organizations across Canada. 

• Psychological First Aid (PFA) helps people prepare for and respond to the mental health impacts of emergencies. It focuses on recognizing stress in ourselves and others, and taking simple, practical steps to reduce distress and support recovery.  
• PFA builds skills that can be used before, during, and after emergencies. Information, support and connections to services can help promote recovery following an emergency.  

• The Canadian Red Cross offers two self-directed online PFA courses: 
  • Self-Care: Learn to recognize your own reactions to stress, loss, and trauma, and build practical self-care strategies.  
  • Caring for Others: Learn to recognize when others may need support and how to respond in a helpful and compassionate way.  

• Both courses introduce the Red Cross Look, Listen, Link, Live model and provide practical tools you can use in everyday situations. 

This training helps your organization: 

• Build the skills of staff and volunteers to respond to stress and trauma.
• Support community members before, during, and after emergencies. 
• Strengthen preparedness and resilience at the local level.  

Each course takes about 45 to 90 minutes. You can pause and return at any time. 

No. You can take the courses in any order.  

There is no formal exam. Short knowledge checks are included, and you can retake them as needed. 

Yes. Once you complete the course(s), you will: 

• Have access to a proof of completion document right away. 
• Receive a digital certification card within 1–2 business days (valid for 10 years).  

• These courses are for individuals and organizations supporting communities affected by emergencies or at a higher risk of wildfires, floods, or other hazards.  
• They are especially relevant for those who: 
  • Work with populations facing barriers to accessing mental health and psychosocial supports. 
  • Provide community-based services in urban, rural, remote, or Indigenous communities.  

• Individuals may also access the courses directly if they meet the eligibility criteria. 

• If you are unsure, we encourage you to review the information on our website or contact us at PFA@redcross.ca

No. You do not need prior experience in mental health or emergency response. 

• You may be eligible if you are a staff member or a volunteer with an organization that supports or is part of a community affected by emergencies or at higher risk of events such as wildfires, floods, or other hazards. 
• This includes individuals and organizations working with communities facing barriers to accessing mental health and psychosocial supports. 
• If you are unsure, we encourage you to review the information on the Strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Preparedness in Emergencies page or contact us at: PFA@redcross.ca 

Follow the registration link and instructions shared by your organization or available on the Strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Preparedness in Emergencies page. Once registered, you can access the course through the Canadian Red Cross online learning platform.

• You can access these courses in two ways: 
  • Through your organization, if it is participating in this initiative and has shared registration details with you  
  • Directly through the Strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Preparedness in Emergencies page, if you meet the eligibility criteria outlined for this initiative  

• If you are unsure, visit the Strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Preparedness in Emergencies page or contact us at PFA@redcross.ca for more information. 

Once registered, you will receive access to a Canadian Red Cross self-directed PFA course on the online learning platform. You can complete it at your own pace on a computer or mobile device.

No. These courses are provided free of charge through this initiative. 

• We work with community organizations and service providers to reach communities most impacted by emergencies or facing barriers to accessing support. 
• This approach helps ensure equitable access and supports organizations in building capacity across their staff and volunteers. 

• If your organization is interested, staff and volunteers can register directly using the links available on the Strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Preparedness in Emergencies page, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. 
• We are working to reach organizations across Canada, with a focus on those supporting communities most impacted by emergencies or facing barriers to accessing support. 

• You must complete your course by October 31, 2026. You will retain access to the course during this period to complete it at your own pace.  

• Access to courses is time-limited as part of this initiative. 

No. Course access is assigned to individual learners and cannot be shared. If others in your organization are interested, they can register through their organization or through the website, if eligible.  

• A limited number of free courses are available as part of this PHAC-funded initiative. Courses may no longer be accessible once this limited number of courses has been claimed. 
• This approach helps ensure equitable access for organizations and individuals with the greatest need across Canada. 

This platform includes tools that let you: 

• Adjust text size, colours, and contrast.  
• Use screen readers and text-to-speech tools. 
• Enable voice commands (on supported browsers).  

Courses are available in English and French. 

Visit www.myrc.redcross.ca to search for other courses from our Psychological First Aid program near you today! 

• If you need help with registration, access, or course completion, contact us at PFA@redcross.ca or refer to the information provided by your organization. 
• We will direct your request to the appropriate team, including technical support if needed. 

• We will not ask for payment or sensitive personal information (such as banking details) to access these courses. 
• We communicate through official channels (email, phone, or in person) and do not send links by text message to sign up for training. 
• If you are unsure about a communication, contact us at PFA@redcross.ca to confirm.