Train two members as Trauma Risk Management Practitioners to provide mental health and wellbeing support following traumatic search and rescue incidents
4
The Pitch
Problem statement
The requirements of Search and Rescue (SAR) can be mentally challenging for team members, particularly where contact with the missing person and or their family members and friends could lead to stress and mental health related experiences. This can be exacerbated in circumstances where the missing person is found deceased. There is a duty of care to provide specialist support and signposting to anyone in the team who suffers adversely from a SAR experience. This is where Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) fits in. TRiM is a method of traumatic stress related mental health disorders prevention.
Solution
The proposal is to train two Môn SAR members as TRiM Practitioners, available to all team members if required. Their skills would also be made available to several Mountain Rescue Teams in the North Wales area. The funding will be spent by undertaking training with an accredited TRiM provider who is well versed in training other SAR teams. The course runs online over 6 months through e-learning and zoom sessions with a dedicated training mentor. The TRiM training will provide practitioners with a background understanding of psychological trauma and its effects. It decreases the likelihood that an individual may suffer poor longer term mental health as a result of a traumatic event.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
Môn SAR already has one member in the team who has experience in dealing with these types of circumstances, but are not trained to TRiM levels. Whilst they can provide a basic level of support, we have a duty of care to their teams to ensure our team members' mental wellbeing is protected. As an example only this week the team were involved in a search for a high risk missing person which sadly resulted in finding and having to retrieve their body. This affected team members in different ways. Whilst our mental health and safeguarding lead was able to provide some signposting, formal TRiM Practitioner training would provide a hugely improved level of mental health support.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| TRiM Practitioner Course for two team members (exc of VAT) | £840 |
Beneficiaries
300 people
Expected impact
Having two TRiM Practitioners in the team will provide vital mental health and wellbeing support and resilience to the team. Everyone is a volunteer; we give our time freely and without judgement to go out at any time - day or night - to search for vulnerable, high risk missing people and return them to a place of safety. We always hope for a successful ending with the person returned live to their families. But, sadly, all too frequently in the current climate, we're faced with finding the missing person deceased. Sometimes they have been dead for some time, yet we still need to be able to retrieve their body with dignity and return them to their loved ones so they can have closure. You can imagine the mental stress this type of experience can place on even the most strongest character. We not only have a duty of care, but we care for our colleagues. If they are suffering mentally because of a horrific incident, we want to provide them the best possible support.
Track record
Since becoming operational in June 2018, the team have been called out by North Wales Police 74 times to search for a high risk missing person on the Isle of Anglesey. We have also assisted other teams in the North Wales area - such as Mountain Rescue Teams and supported other Lowland Rescue teams in England. Our support to North Wales Police and the community has been recognised at the highest levels, with letters of thanks from Senior Police Officers and the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner.