Symposia
Dissemination & Implementation Science
Courtney Wolk, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Matteo Pieri, PhD
Clinical Research Coordinator
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Michal Weiss, B.S.
Clinical Research Coordinator
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Emily M. Becker-Haimes, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to heightened anxiety, distress, and burnout among healthcare workers. Healthcare workers have historically been reluctant to engage with psychosocial resources, even in times of need. This presentation describes a Coping First Aid program launched at an academic medical center in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method: The program was developed rapidly to respond to heightened staff stress and burnout in the context of the public health disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic. Informed by Psychological First Aid principles and therapeutic micro-skills (e.g., active listening, empathic responding), Coping First Aid was designed as a tele-mental healthcare service for healthcare workers, staff, and their families. Lay volunteer coaches listen, support, promote coping, provide resources, and link to higher levels of care under the supervision of licensed clinicians. The authors will present an overview of the Coping First Aid model, feasibility and utilization data derived from administrative records, and preliminary implementation and effectiveness outcomes based on coach and client self-report surveys (n = 56; 34% response rate).
Results: One hundred nineteen individuals volunteered to serve as lay coaches, 100 were trained, and 44 were certified to coach. Sessions were scheduled with 332 clients, of which 282 occurred (85%). Follow-up appointments were recommended in 60% of sessions and 20% (n = 57) of clients were referred for professional mental health care. Client survey respondents (n = 34) overall reported that Coping First Aid was very or extremely helpful; 60% were very or extremely satisfied, and 74% indicated they would recommend the program. Coaches (n = 22) strongly agreed that supervision prepared them for coaching (86%). Only 23% agreed that it was easy for them to make connections to mental health services for clients in need.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that Coping First Aid was feasible to implement and most clients found the service beneficial. Uptake was low relative to the size of the health system, suggesting the need to improve dissemination to healthcare staff. Coping First Aid provides a model for rapidly developing and scaling tele-mental health supports in response to public health disasters and beyond the pandemic.