Introduction 

Deafblindness is a unique disability - a combination of sight and hearing impairment. Though the degree of deafness or blindness varies, the combination of dual sensory loss leads to unique problems in an individual’s communication, mobility and their ability to access information. Because 95% of what we learn about the world comes through sight and hearing, Children and adults with Deafblindness face unique challenges in communication, mobility and accessing information; making Deafblindness one of the most isolating disabilities. 

Deafblindness is a low incidence disability and is hidden in community. There is no data available regarding the size of the Deafblind population in India as, to date there has been no comprehensive study or research to determine the true incidence. Estimates, based on information gathered from community-based projects, indicate that there could be more than 500,000 Deafblind/ multiple disabled people in the country. 

Sense International India, also known as Sense India was established in 1997 as the first national NGO in India to support the development of comprehensive services for Deafblind people. Sense India supports local organisations to develop sustainable services for Deafblind people. Today Sense India works with 59 partners in 22 states, providing services to over 78000 Deafblind people. Our key achievements include: Deafblindness now officially recognised as a unique disability under multiple disabilities in the Persons with Disability Act 2016, government of India; a dedicated deafblind Teacher Training Programme; a national resource and information centre on deafblindness has been established, networks of families, special educators and adults with Deafblindness has been established. 

What is Mental Health and importance of Psychological First Aid:  

What is Mental Health 

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a “state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community” (2021). Mental health influences how individuals think, feel, and act, affecting their ability to manage stress, relate to others, and make decisions. By regulating thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, individuals can strengthen resilience, boost self-esteem, and enhance relationships, ultimately promoting emotional stability and overall well-being. 

Importance of Psychological First Aid 

Thus, Psychological First Aid (PFA) plays a vital role for individuals with sensory impairments by providing immediate emotional and psychological support during distressing situations, helping individuals manage overwhelming emotions and stress. By equipping professionals with PFA skills, we can offer timely intervention that mitigates the risk of developing long-term mental health issues and promotes overall emotional resilience, helping individuals with deafblindness or multi-sensory impairments lead more fulfilling lives despite their challenges. As well as ensuring they receive the emotional and psychological care necessary during impactful situations. 

In this course, through tailored PFA techniques, professionals will learn how to help these individuals manage stress, process difficult emotions, and feel understood and supported. Hence, this training ensures that professionals are equipped to meet the complex emotional needs of those with deafblindness or multi-sensory impairments, ultimately promoting their well-being and quality of life. Given the significant communication challenges that many PwDb face, this PFA course trains the professionals on tailoring coping strategies that consider the sensory impairment of individual with Deafblindness or Multi-sensory impairment that they may work with. This is to ensure that their unique needs are best supported, so that they feel understood and empowered to cope with crisis. 

Preamble  

It is estimated about five lakhs persons with Deafblindness are living in our country. Trained professionals to help this group are very limited as there are only four approved training centres on Deafblindness in the whole country.  Approximately hundred trained professionals come out every year. All these centres have only two years regular course and from the year 2000 till date there are only about 1500 trained professionals who have passed out for the rehabilitation of over 5 lakhs population of persons with Deafblindness.  

Sense India is the only NGO which works across the country for the rights of persons with Deafblindness.  As a mark of 20th anniversary, Sense India decided to launch online course on Deafblindness.     

Sense India holds the responsibility of promoting, maintaining, monitoring and coordinating the course offered through online.   This will definitely meet the increasing demand of trained manpower in the field of Deafblindness in the country. 

Nomenclature of the Course:  

Web Education on Psycho-Social First Aid: Web Ed. (MH-PSFA)  

Duration 

The short-term three-month Web Education course on Psychological First Aid (PFA) equips individuals with skills to support those in distress, offering immediate emotional assistance and connecting them to further resources. Ideal for anyone looking to provide basic mental health support and make a positive impact in their communities. Four batches of online course will be commenced in a year for the beneficial of the learner. 

Teaching Faculty 

Sense India has an extremely knowledgeable pool of experts in the field of Mental Health who have more than four years of experience. They will be providing technical support to the students enrolled in this course. The training will focus equally on both the theoretical and practical aspects of how mental health support can be provided to individuals with deafblindness. Apart from the web based interactions the students will also learn through various modes like web based presentations, practical sessions, talks/lectures by Mental Health and Deafblindness experts, assignments, case-study discussions, and videos.  

Essential qualifications for lecturers:  

Post Graduate degree (M.A, M.Sc, Mphil, Doctorate in field of Mental Health and Psychology, MD in Psychiatry) and equivalent or related degree.  

Aims and Objectives  

Aims: - The aim of this course is to prepare facilitators to be able to provide mental and emotional support to individuals with Deafblindness and multi-sensory impairments during distressing situations. The training aims at equipping facilitators with PFA skills which will involve, learning to screen or assess the severity and dynamics of distressing situations, its impact on mental health and delivering Psychological First Aid, that consist of interventions designed to provide mental and emotional support to help the person cope with the situation. These techniques can be used to provide support to these individuals across various service models, including Early Intervention Programs, Special Schools, Inclusive Setups, Home-Based Programs, Community-Based Programs, and Pre-Vocational and Vocational Centers. This course also aims at developing and increasing trained human resource in the field of Deafblindness, giving them the knowledge and understanding of mental health issues specific to Deafblindness and how to address these challenges effectively. 

Objectives 

The objective of this course is to prepare facilitator to be able to provide mental, emotional, social and psychological support to the persons with Deafblindness in a challenging situation. On completion of the course the trained educators are expected to: 

1. Understand the characteristics and aetiology of deafblindness and associated conditions  
2. Equip facilitators with foundational knowledge of Psychological First Aid and its importance in addressing mental and emotional support needs during distressing situations. 
3. Raise awareness among facilitators about mental health issues specific to individuals with deafblindness, focusing on early identification and timely support to prevent escalation of distress. 
4. Train facilitators to effectively screen and assess the severity of distress and its impact on mental health in individuals with deafblindness and multi-sensory impairments, identifying key indicators of emotional or psychological distress. 
5. Empower facilitators to create and nurture supportive environments that promote the emotional and mental well-being of individuals with deafblindness in various community and service settings. 
6. Equip facilitators to prepare and deliver personalized, need-based PFA interventions that support the unique mental health challenges faced by individuals with deafblindness, while also providing them with the skills to help these individuals develop effective coping mechanisms to manage stress, and emotional distress during crises. 

7. Train facilitators to recognize their own limits in providing mental health support, enabling them to assess the severity of situations and identify when distress or mental health challenges are beyond their capacity to manage. Facilitators will also gain knowledge of the appropriate mental health professionals to refer individuals to in such cases. 

Eligibility and Intake 

Any persons who are interested in learning and have access to internet are eligible to undergo this training.  However, preference will be given to-  

• Special Educators/Therapists 
• Counsellors and Mental Health Professionals  
• Mental Health or Psychology students (Minimum criteria: Successful enrollment to Final Years bachelors) 
• Coordinators of Sense India projects,  
• CBR workers 

Students who have appeared for the examination and their result awaited may get provisional admission, subject to submission of their documents as per the eligibility criteria within allotted time. 

Admission will be subject to verification of facts as in the original certificates/documents. Management reserves the right to cancel admission if a discrepancy is noted, even at a later point of time after admission. Such a decision will be final and binding on the candidate.  

Each batch will have a maximum of 20 students. 

Course Materials 

Course materials will be available in English and Hindi languages, both digital and hard copy of the material could be chosen.   

Admissions: 

All admissions take place through Sense International India. 

Timelines are as follows:  

Session 1  

February to April 

January: Submission of documents and Commencement of admissions  

February: Classes begin at the web based education 

Session 2  

May to July 

April: Submission of documents and Commencement of admissions  

May: Classes begin at the web based education 

Session 3  

August to October 

July: Submission of documents and Commencement of admissions  

August: Classes begin at the web based education 

Session 4  

November to January 

October: Submission of documents and Commencement of admissions  

November: Classes begin at the web based education 

Support from the Organization  

Sense India will be providing the entire learning materials related to the course on Psychological First Aid. The materials will be disseminated within two weeks of the admission process. Sense India will be organising web based sessions on Psychological First Aid twice a week (one hour session) every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00 pm (IST) considering participants from all particulars. However, the participants will be informed in advance regarding the sessions.  

Attendance  

Selected candidates are expected to attend the web based sessions through their login ID’s provided by the organisation. Students are expected to achieve the minimum required attendance in each of the above mentioned areas, failing which the students will not be receiving the web based course certificate on PFA. 

How to Apply  

Applicants can apply and upload relevant documents online through the Sense International India website at www.senseintindia.org 

Applicants has to apply for 1st Batch before 15th of January, 2nd Batch before 15th of April, 3rd batch before 15th of July and 4th batch before 15th of October each year. Admission will only be accepted on submission of the entire course fee through a demand draft in the name of Sense International India or through online payment provided Sense India.  

Incomplete forms shall be liable to be rejected. To apply, submit attested copies of the following documents:  

• Statement of marks and degrees of Higher Secondary (10+2) or other equivalent qualifying examination  
• Proof of Age (Class 10 certificate) 
• Certificate and degrees of higher qualifications  
• Proof of work experience (in Deafblindness and related experience)  

For registration or any further inquiries, please write an email to webdb@senseintindia.org or  CONTACT US at : Trainings Coordinator, Sense International India, Administrative Block, Andhjan Mandal Campus, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad  380 015 Gujarat, India 

Phone: +91 79 26301282  ; Website: www.senseindia.org.in   Email id- webdb@senseintindia.org 

Grades and Grade Points 

Program Structure 

Weekly two sessions of 1 hour of online lectures 

Theory – 54 Hours 

Course Content 

Unit-1: Introduction to Deafblindness, Mental Health and Psychological First Aid 3 Hrs.    

Lecture 1 

1.1 Overview of Deafblindness 

1.2 Modes of Communication 

Lecture 2 

1.3 Overview of Health  

1.4 Overview of Public Health (IIPHG) 

1.5 Overview of Mental Health (MH)  

1.6 Difference between Mental Health, Mental Illness and Disability 

Lecture 3 

1.7 What is Psychological First Aid (PFA)? 

1.8 RAPID Model (summary and introduction) 

Unit 2: Understanding R: Rapport Building and Reflective listening            2 Hrs. 

Lecture 4 

2.1 Rapport Building 

Lecture 5 

2.2 Reflective listening 

2.3 Practical 

Unit- 3: Understanding A: Assessment                                                              3 Hrs. 

Lecture 6 

3.1 General Indicators 

Lecture 7 

3.2 Assessing Intensity 

3.3 Assessing Immediacy 

3.4 Assessing Situation 

Lecture 8 

3.5 Assessing skills through Checklist 

3.6 Practical 

Unit- 4: Understanding P: Prioritization                                                                 2 Hrs. 

Lecture 9 

4.1 On the basis of intensity   
4.2 On the basis of frequency 
4.3 On the basis of relevancy 

Lecture 10 

4.4 On the basis of time frame    
4.5 On the basis of situational aspects  

4.6 Practical   

Unit 5: Understanding I: Intervention            6 Hrs. 

Lecture 11 

5.1 Regulation of mood 

5.2 Stress management 

Lecture 12 

5.3 Anger management  

5.4 Managing Guilt  

Lecture13 

5.5 Managing Low-self esteem 

5.6 Managing Failure 

Lecture 14 

5.7 Managing Rejection 

5.8 Managing Loneliness 

Lecture15 

5.9 Managing Loss and Trauma 

Lecture 16 

5.10 Practical 

Unit 6: Understanding D: Disposition                         2 Hrs. 

Lecture17 

6.1 Integrating all components 

6.2 Signposting 

6.3 Case study discussion  

6.4 Practical with Moderator and Participant  

Practical – 5 hours 

1. Explore and identify signs of mental and emotional distress with deafblind person in different situations.   
2. Develop and discuss a case of a deafblind person in distress, and exploring how to apply skills of Psychological First Aid (PFA) to support them using all components of the RAPID model: R: Rapport Building and Reflective Listening, A: Assessment, P: Prioritization of the Crisis, I: Intervention, D: Disposition 
3. Engage in role-playing activities to practice Psychological First Aid techniques, as person in distress and Aider, moderated by the course faculty.