The Minister for Civil Contingencies, Samantha Sacramento, opened the first session of Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) training at the University of Gibraltar which has been ongoing throughout this week.

A total of 24 practitioners and 8 managers have undergone TRiM training throughout 2023.  The next phase will include ‘train the trainer’ of staff, so that future training can be rolled out in-house.

TRiM is a trauma-focused peer support system designed to help people who have experienced a traumatic or potentially traumatic event. TRiM practitioners and managers are non-medical personnel who have undergone specific training allowing them to understand the effects that traumatic events can have. They are not counsellors or therapists, but understand confidentiality and are able to listen and offer practical advice and assistance. TRiM originated in the UK Armed Forces and the model is based on ‘watchful waiting’: keeping a watchful eye on individuals who have been exposed to a traumatic event, whether that person has been directly involved or involved from afar.

The Citizens Advice Bureau in conjunction with the Office of Civil Contingencies have organised the TRiM training by UK-based psychological health consultancy ‘March on Stress’, with funding obtained from Playtech PLC under its global Recovery and Resilience Fund. Playtech Gibraltar’s HR Director Mr Andrew Gonzalez was also present at the opening session.

The Minister for Civil Contingencies, the Hon Samantha Sacramento, said: “Our Emergency Services and other first responding organisations do a fantastic job in keeping our community safe and are at the sharp end of all our frontline operations. Sadly, there will be times when our people will be exposed to traumatic events and it is therefore only right that we look after the psychological care and management of our staff. TRiM has been established to ensure that we look after our most precious resource – our people. I am very grateful for the work carried out by the Citizens Advice Bureau together with the Office of Civil Contingencies in organising this training and I am especially thankful to Playtech PLC for their continued support in the field of mental health and well-being. This support also forms part of Gibraltar’s National Mental Health Strategy”.