Stress First Aid at Emory

Stress First Aid Continuum chart titled 'What Color Are You?' with four color-coded categories: Green for Thriving, Yellow for Surviving, Orange for Struggling, and Red for In Crisis. Each category lists definitions and recommended actions.

A simple tool for navigating stress and mental health at work.

Stress First Aid, or SFA, helps Emory employees recognize stress early, use a shared language to talk about how we are doing, and connect to the right support before stress becomes a bigger problem.

SFA is not therapy or counseling. It is a practical framework for checking in with ourselves and others, responding with care and compassion, and helping employees access the mental health and well-being resources available at Emory.

Visit the SFA Learning and Resources Hub



An Evidence-Informed Framework Adapted for High-Stress Work

Stress First Aid was developed as a practical framework to improve recovery from stress reactions in oneself and in coworkers. The model was originally designed for military and other high-stress occupations and has since been adapted for healthcare, public safety, disaster response and other demanding work environments.

EmWELL Stress First Aid training session at Emory Healthcare with a presenter speaking to a room of several dozen employees. Two projection screens display the Stress First Aid Continuum.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD offers Stress First Aid manuals and resources for healthcare workers and other professionals. Emory’s use of SFA builds on this evidence-informed framework and adapts it for our healthcare, academic and research environment.


Evidence-Informed Framework

Stress First Aid was developed by the National Center for PTSD and adapted for healthcare, public safety, and other high-stress work environments.

VA Stress First Aid Manual




People-centered approach to workplace culture


Emory is committed to creating an environment where employees feel supported, connected and able to do meaningful work.

Stress First Aid supports this commitment by helping individuals, leaders and teams:

  • Notice early signs of stress
  • Respond with care and compassion
  • Reduce stigma around stress and mental health
  • Strengthen peer, team and leadership support
  • Connect employees to the right resources
Emory Healthcare staff gathered around a conference table during a Stress First Aid session, with several participants holding up printed Stress First Aid Continuum cards.

Recognize and address stress early, before it becomes a bigger problem.

The Stress First Aid Continuum

The SFA continuum is an easy way to pause and check in with yourself. The colors help describe where you may be on a given day.

You do not need to share your color out loud. Simply noticing where you are can be a powerful first step.


Thriving

Definition
  • Optimal functioning
  • Adaptive growth
  • Wellbeing
  • Motivated
Action
  • Practice self-care
  • Teamwork
  • Appropriate rest
“I’ve got this”

Surviving

Definition
  • Mild and temporary distress
  • Feeling irritable, anxious, or down
  • Muscle tension
  • Less focused
Action
  • Use Stress First Aid
“Something isn’t right”

Struggling

Definition
  • More intense and ongoing distress
  • Loss of control
  • Don’t feel like normal self
  • Negative thinking
  • Feeling overwhelmed
Action
  • Use Stress First Aid
  • Seek additional support
“I can’t keep this up”

In Crisis

Definition
  • Severe ongoing distress
  • Difficulty functioning well
  • Hopelessness
  • May include burnout, insomnia, substance use
Action
  • Seek additional support
  • Consider mental health resources
  • Consider adjustments to work situation
“I can’t survive this”


Support yourself and bring SFA to your team!

Wherever you are on the continuum, support is available. Stress First Aid helps employees identify what type of support may be most helpful and where to go next.

SFA Learning and Resources Hub

Microlessons, tools and resources to help you use Stress First Aid for yourself, your team and your colleagues.

Visit the SFA Learning and Resources Hub



Become a Stress First Aid Ambassador

Stress First Aid Ambassadors help share simple SFA tools and resources with their local teams. This is a low-commitment, flexible role designed to support awareness, not add another major responsibility.

Three Emory Healthcare staff members displaying Stress First Aid resource cards, including the Stress First Aid Continuum and Seven Cs of Stress First Aid.

Ambassadors may:

  • Share SFA resources with their team
  • Mention SFA during a huddle or team meeting
  • Help colleagues find the SFA Learning and Resources Hub
  • Connect with EmWELL for flyers, tools or updates

You do not need to be a mental health expert. Ambassadors simply help normalize early conversations about stress and point colleagues toward available support.

Become an SFA Ambassador