C.A.L.M.E.R was introduced by the psychosocial and mental health team in 2007 and it is a framework
that helps to strengthen and support the work that our frontline responders do in the Red Cross.
It's based on six different concepts, the first one being 'C' so consider
and when we talk about considering, we're talking about considering the different needs the different risks involved in
supporting people who are in distress, considering the impact that an event might have had on people
but also thinking about what resources we have in order to respond to people when they're in need.
The 'A' stands for acknowledge, so acknowledging essentially what the difficult or strong emotions
are going to be when we are supporting people and preparing ourselves for what the experience is
going to be like, acknowledging how we ourselves are feeling
but also acknowledging what support that we will need.
So 'L' listening yes active listening but also approaching from real kind of
genuine curiosity about what that experience is like for that person as well as coming at it from
a very non-experts approach as well, knowing that the person themselves has experienced the crisis
and is the expert in that in that experience.
The 'M' stands for managing, managing what the most immediate needs and risks are in that situation
but also managing the expectations, being very clear about what our roles are
and what we can and what we can't do in support for that person
and then also managing any immediate threats to safety in that situation.
The 'E' is about enabling and we talk about enabling very often when
you've had an experience which has overwhelmed you, an experience that's unexpected.
It takes away a sense of control that we feel that we have in our lives
and enabling is very much about giving that person that sense of control back, telling them what
choices they have, what options they have, not just saying it in the time but saying and repeating it
because very often during a crisis we don't retain the same amount of information that we normally would on a regular basis.
Helping them to think about what kinds of social networks they have and
what kind of social support they have and getting them reconnected with friends and family who can
help them on their process of recovery and really starting to take back that control.
And then the 'R' very much around resourcing
so, thinking with the person what tools, what resources they need,
what services that are available to them in order to start making choices, positive choices, to take
back that autonomy and to find ways to sustain their well-being.
Inherent in the C.A.L.M.E.R framework
is the reminder to stay calm and staying calm is so important when were working with people who are in distress
staying calm helps us to stay mentally focused, it helps us to be mindful of alternatives
or solutions we might not have had before and also I think it most importantly it helps us to
promote a sense of calming for that person as well. Helping people to stay calm in a crisis not only
reduces the risks of stress and trauma for them, it also helps them promote a sense of recovery faster
as well as can even help with wound healing if they've been injured.
Very often it's the unexpected that threatens to overwhelm us and our sense of being able to cope in times of distress.
The C.A.L.M.E.R framework gets us to think about in advance some of the situations that we encounter and what
resources we have to prepare ourselves to go into those situations.
The British Red Cross frontline responders very often work with people who have gone through some form of crisis
who have lost their loved ones, who've lost their homes or have lost their health and that means that the work
that we ourselves do is quite trauma-exposed. It enables staff a clear framework to help them feel
more confident and more competent when they work with people in distress,
to be themselves more able to cope with the impact that that kind of work has on them over time
and also helps them to think about their own needs in sustaining themselves moving forward.
And that's the other side of the C.A.L.M.E.R framework as well, it reminds us to think about not just our own needs
but also the needs of our teams as well. It helps to build team resilience, individual resilience,
promote a sense of efficacy in the work that we do and helps to provide more meaning and hope
in the work that our frontline responders do on a regular basis.
How do we embed the C.A.L.M.E.R framework in all of the practice that we do as an organization?
What it looks like in our policies and procedures, how it features in our inductions,
how it features in the professional development that we offer our staff and volunteers
but also how it involves our practice as managers as well, how we look at how we brief our staff,
how we induct our staff, also how we diffuse with our staff after a long day of work
and I think the most important part of the C.A.L.M.E.R framework is that actually as an organization
that we give permission to our staff and volunteers to actually have time to stop and reflect on the
nature of their humanitarian work, the different resources they need to become even more successful
in responding to people's needs and also the impact that that kind of work has on themselves.