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Being a resilient responder starts with a commitment to taking care of yourself. This can be increasingly difficult during a pandemic, where responders experience additional stressors related to home and personal circumstances as well as those brought on by challenging mission demands. There are important steps you can take to keep yourself healthy and fit for duty as you take care of others.  This survey aims to examine responder safety and health a year+ into the pandemic response.

Data collected will be used for quantifiable information. No individual names, comments or other identifying information will be included in final reporting. This survey will assist in our ability to quantify and qualify the potential exposure to traumatic events likely to have impacted responders during this pandemic; and identify methods to manage stress and to develop individual coping strategies. The survey results will inform the DBH program on future plans and training needs to support Responder Safety and Health.
 
This survey is based on the Anticipate.Plan.DeterTM Personal Resilience Plan and PsySTART Responder Triage System. © M. Schreiber, 2020. 
Demographic Information

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* 1. What is your gender?

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* 2. How old are you?

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* 3. Your highest earned educational degree:

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* 4. Professional Discipline / Certification or Licensure

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* 5. Primary work setting

Predict Problems
As a responder, you and your team are at risk of experiencing a traumatic incident —an incident that may involve exposure to catastrophic events and emotionally or physically challenging situations like those listed below. Check all exposure elements you predict might be associated with your current/upcoming work environment or volunteer deployment:

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* 6. Check all that apply

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* 7. Everyone reacts differently to stressful exposures, particularly when an event reminds them of a past event or when the stress is prolonged. Based on the previous Responder Safety and Health Survey responses, the top six triggers recognized have been provided as follows. Please check off up to 3 triggering events or areas that negatively impact your stress level in your work environment and/or provide add another impactful trigger.

Please skip if you have no stressful exposure triggers.

Recognizing Signs of Stress

Recognize your personal signs of stress and monitor them throughout your work assignment or deployment so you know when to engage your protection plan. Prolonged exposure to stress can cause new symptoms, which can be more difficult to recognize. Common symptoms of stress include the following. Check all stress symptoms you feel associated with your work environment or volunteer deployment.

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* 8. Check all that apply

Then and Now 

Thinking back about 18 months, when we were about a year+ into the COVID-19 pandemic, consider how your stress symptoms and levels have changed.

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* 9. Have you experienced an increase or decrease in stress symptoms in the past 18 months, since the last Responder Safety and Health survey was solicited?

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* 10. How would you describe your work stress levels prior to COVID-19?

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* 11. How would you describe your work stress levels currently?

Prescribe Protection
Given the responder stress and fatigue can be predicted, and stress symptoms recognized, consider what you can do, think, and avoid to help you stay fit for duty. Review, adapt, and practice this “prescription for protection” during and after your work assignment/volunteer deployment or any particularly traumatic shift.

GUIDING QUESTIONS:
What do you do for yourself when you are upset?
What has helped you during previous deployments?
What do you like to do when you’re in a good mood or to help you relax?
Where do you have control to make things better?
What positive things can you say to yourself when things are tough?
What/whom should you avoid?

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* 12. Check all that apply

Engage a Protection Plan
REMEMBER: Strong Emotions are Normal Reactions to an Abnormal Situation

Creating a team culture and/or a buddy system to provide peer support, connecting with supportive resources and attending trainings are all great ways ENGAGE A PROTECTION PLAN. Remember you may be able to see the signs of stress better in your teammates than in yourself. In a buddy system, two responders partner together to support each other and monitor each other’s stress, workload, safety.

Recognize your personal signs of stress and monitor them so you know when to engage your protection plan. Prolonged exposure to stress can cause new symptoms, which can be more difficult to recognize. Select areas that could be used to enhance your protection plan.

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* 13. In addition to identifying a buddy, what areas do you feel would be most beneficial for workforce development to build your "Behavioral Health PPE" and support overall responder safety and health? Check all that apply.

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* 14. Have you participated in any educational or supportive programs or training offered by your employer or volunteer organization in the last year?

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* 15. Over the past 18 months, do you feel your employer or volunteer organization has been more or less responsive to stress management and resiliency efforts?

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* 16. Since the original Responder Safety and Health Survey, the following workforce development trainings have been offered by Maine CDC's Disaster Behavioral Health Program to strengthen  "Behavioral Health PPE" and support overall responder safety and health. 

* Resetting Your Check Engine Light Training
* Psychological First Aid Training
* Personal Resilience and Stress Inoculation Training
* Creating Safe Spaces and Relationships for Coping and Resilience: Improving Compassion Satisfaction Among Responders and Communities Training

Additional, workforce development trainings will be offered based on the finding of this survey. If you would like to receive the quarterly electronic Maine Disaster Behavioral Health Newsletter, where training opportunities are announced, please include your name and email address below.

Resources

Maine Disaster Behavioral Health Website 
Maine DBH COVID-Specific Resources 

StrengthenME StrengthenME offers free stress management and resiliency resources to anyone in Maine experiencing stress reactions to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline
Having Trouble Coping After a Disaster? Talk With Us.
Toll-Free: 1-800-985-5990
TTY: 1-800-846-8517
Text: “talkWithUs” to 66746
Website: http://disasterdistress.samhsa.gov

SAMHSA Behavioral Health Disaster Response Mobile App
Offers first responders immediate access to field resources for aiding disaster survivors. Has the ability to search for and map behavioral health service providers in the impacted area, review emergency preparedness materials, and send resources to colleagues.
Website: http://store.samhsa.gov/product/PEP13- DKAPP-1

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 
Toll-Free 1-800-272-TALK (8255) TTY: 1-8007994TTY (4889)
Psychological First Aid

LOOK
* LOOK for safety issues.
* LOOK for people with obvious urgent basic needs.
* LOOK for serious distress reactions.
Is anyone extremely upset, immobile, not responding to others, or in shock?
Where and who are the most distressed people?

LISTEN
* Approach people who may need support. Introduce yourself by name and organization; ask about immediate needs. If possible, find a quiet & safe place to talk; respect privacy
* LISTEN to find out about people’s needs and concerns. Ask about any obvious needs & concerns. Find out what is most important to them; help them prioritize
* LISTENING will help people feel calm. Remain calm, quiet, and available. Do not pressure a person to talk; offer to listen and standby

LINK
* LINK people to services and help address basic needs. Provide water, food, shelter, etc. and link people to available services for needs. Follow up with people if you promise to do so.
* Help people cope with problems. Help people identify their most urgent practical needs and prioritize them. Ask how they coped with past difficulties and affirm their ability to cope now.
* LINK people to information. Only say what you know. Provide people with contact details or direct referral to at least one other person they can go to once your assistance has ended. Do not leave people who are seriously distressed or who cannot take care of themselves alone.
Thank you for completing this survey.

SOURCES
CDC Traumatic Incident Stress: Information for Emergency Response Workers
CDC Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event
CHAMP 5 ways to power your performance with optimism
SAMHSA. (2014). Tips for Disaster Responders: Preventing and Managing Stress. HHS Publication No. SMA-14-4873
Ommeren, M. (2011). A 1-day Orientation in Psychological First Aid (PFA) for First Responders. World Health Organization
Schreiber, M. (2014). Anticipate Plan Deter Responder Resilience System.
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