I Support My Friends - Training Manual - Children and Adolescents Support a Friend in Distress

Oct 17, 2026

Training manual for children and adolescents on how to support a friend in distress, built on the principles of Psychological First Aid. The resource kit (including a theory and implementation guide, participant workbook, and a manual for training facilitators and focal points) outlines key definitions, acronyms, training structure, agenda, and step-by-step sessions. Sessions cover building trust, understanding community safety and risks, recognizing normal reactions, and practicing different forms of support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages192

Reading Time8 h 4 min

AccessFree to download

FOREWORD

KEY DEFINITIONS

LIST OF ACRONYMS

INTRODUCTION

THE TRAINING

TRAINING STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS

THE WORKBOOK

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

THE AGENDA

THE TRAINING STEP BY STEP

SESSION 1: INTRODUCTION, TEAM BUILDING AND TRUST

SESSION 2: OUR COMMUNITY

SESSION 3: OUR REACTIONS TO DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES

SESSION 4: DIFFERENT FORMS OF SUPPORT

TRAINING MANUAL A training for children and adolescentson how to support a friend in distress Building on the principles ofPsychological First Aid 2 The I Support My Friends resource kit has been published by the United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) in partnership with Save the Children (SC)/MHPSS Collaborative andthe World HealthOrganisation (WHO) . First published June 2021 Permission to use, copy and distribute this document, partly or in its entirety, is hereby granted,provided that the due source of reference appears in all copies. © United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), June 2021 All rights reserved. Permission is required to reproduce any part of this publication. For permission requests, pleaseemail: nyhqdoc.permit@unicef.org This joint product reflects the activities of individual agencies around an issue of common concern.The principles and policies ofeach agency are governed by the relevant decisions of its governing body. Each agency implements the interventions describedin this document in accordance with these principles and policies and within the scope of its mandate. Conceptual development: Miyuki Akasaka (SC Japan), Anne-Sophie Dybdal (SC Denmark) . Authors: Pernille Hansen (Consultant), Karin Tengnäs (Consultant) . Contributors: Marie Dahl (SC Denmark), Zeinab Hijazi (UNICEF), Roz Keating (SC Denmark), Anna Koehorst (UNICEF), Grethe Markussen (SC Denmark),Jennie O’Connell (Consultant), Ruth O’Connell (SC Denmark), AlisonSchafer (WHO), Leslie Snider (SC/MHPSS Collaborative), Kai YamaguchiFasting (SC Germany) . Editing: Green Ink, Jennifer Groves (Consultant), Kate Harris and Leslie Snider (SC/ MHPSS Collaborative), Nancy Sternberg Goodman (Consultant) . Suggested citation: United Nations Children’s Fund, Save the Children/MHPSS Collaborativeand World Health Organization, I Support My Friends – Training Manual,UNICEF, New York, 2021. The I Support my Friends resource kit comprises: • The Theory and Implementation Guide • The Training Manual • The Participant’s Workbook • The Manual for training offacilitatorsand focal points The resource kit is available online: https://www.unicef.org/protection/mental-health-psychosocial-support-in-emergencies Special thanks to: Acknowledgements: Design &production: We would like to extend a special thanks to the peer reviewers: Dalia Amin(Gender Equality Consultant), Nicole Bohl (Child Protection and MHPSSConsultant), Marcia Brophy (International Medical Corps), Lucia Castelli(AVSI Foundation), Cristian De Luca (Norwegian Refugee Council), AliEtrati Khosroshahi (Protection Consultant), Naru Fukuchi (Miyagi DisasterMental Health Care Centre), Brighton Gwezera (REPSSI), Bayan Hakki(Istanbul Bilgi University),Takashi Izutsu (The University of Tokyo), LynneJones (Harvard University), Alison Joyner (Plan International Norway),Yoshiharu Kim (National Centre of Neurology and Psychiatry),YuzuruKawashima (National Hospital Organisation Disaster Medical Centre),Camilla Lodi (Norwegian Refugee Council), Michelle May (EducationCannot Wait), Peter Ventevogel (UNHCR), and Louise Vinther-Larsen(Danish Red Cross).We would also like to thank those from the ReferenceCentre for Psychosocial Support, International Federation of Red Crossand Red Crescent Societies. From Proteknôn Foundation for Innovation and Learning: StephanieDelaney, Judi Fairhom, Laurene Graziani, Sara Lim Bertrand, Claire O’Kaneand Melinda Van Zyl. From Save the Children: Joy Abi Habib and Rana Kharrat (Lebanon),MayAoun, Aida Bekic and Jennifer Gayles (United States), Anke Dietrich(Germany), Anne Filorizzo Pla (Denmark), Christian Ghislain Popotre(Global), Elyse Leonard (Norway), Angela Mazer Marshall (Syria), IremMirzai and Mehmet Sercan Erbecer (Turkey), Rebecca Nakaweesi (SouthSudan), Marta Petagna and Natalia Tapies (Regional Office Middle East andEastern Europe), Rebecca Smith (United Kingdom), Arz Stephan (Yemen)and Katy Wall (Regional Office East

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the I Support My Friends training manual?

It provides training for children and adolescents on supporting a friend in distress using the principles of Psychological First Aid.

What materials are included in the I Support My Friends resource kit?

The kit includes a Theory and Implementation Guide, the Training Manual, the Participant’s Workbook, and a manual for training facilitators and focal points.

How is the training organized?

It includes key definitions and acronyms, then follows a structured agenda with step-by-step sessions covering trust, community safety and risks, reactions to difficult experiences, and forms of support.

Oct 17, 2026

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