Cayman Brac Red Cross volunteers and training facilitators. From left: Derry Martin, Facilitator Georgia Rose, Tracia Mitchell, Devin Tatum, Facilitator Sharon Brown, and Elaine Dixon.

In response to Hurricane Paloma, the Cayman Islands Red Cross, supported by trainers from the Jamaica Red Cross recently held a Psychological Support Training in the Brac for volunteers of the organisation and as other key members of the community.

Volunteers from the Jamaican Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Unit, Sharon Brown and Georgia Rose facilitated the three-day training session.

The workshop was aimed at enhancing the skills of the key members of the Brac community, who were involved in the Hurricane Paloma response phase, to deal and cope with the emotional effects of persons before, during and after a disaster.

The workshop covered topics such as stress management, crisis and trauma, grief and loss, helping helpers. It also provided basic helping skills.

The Red Cross continues to provide training courses in order for volunteers to be ready to respond to any emergency or disaster.