Psychological First Aid: Field Operations Guide (2nd Edition)
NCTSN & VA National Center for PTSD · 2006 · 189 pages · For clinicians and responders in disaster and crisis settings
Read it at the official source
One of the few manuals whose copyright page explicitly welcomes copying and redistribution, provided the text is unmodified, authors are cited, and no fee is charged.
If the publisher link moves: archived copy
The standard evidence-informed manual for supporting children, adults, and families in the immediate aftermath of disaster and mass violence, built around eight core actions from contact and engagement through linkage with services. Written jointly by NCTSN and the National Center for PTSD, it is the field guide most disaster mental health deployments train on.
Beyond the core actions it includes provider self-care guidance and a full set of survivor handouts and worksheets. Pair it with Skills for Psychological Recovery below, which picks up in the weeks and months after the acute phase.
Run it with these materials
The grounding and safety planning materials carry PFA's stabilization and safety actions in printable form.
This manual is a publication of NCTSN & VA National Center for PTSD. Therapy Resource is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, its publisher. The summary above is our own; always follow the manual itself and your clinical judgment. If you are in crisis, contact 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or call 911.