Resilience First Aid Courses

Resilience First Aid is about being proactive – a preventative approach to mental health. Learn how to build mental fitness through a practical strength-based approach. earn critical skills to proactively support mental health in others.

Aquatic professionals are first responders. They perform rescues, manage emergencies, and witness critical incidents, yet they remain the one first responder group without a dedicated peer support infrastructure. Fire, EMS, law enforcement, and military personnel have had these systems for decades and it's time aquatics caught up.

The Resilience First Aid (RFA) Peer Support Certification is a 16-hour blended learning course that equips aquatic professionals with the skills and framework to build proactive peer support programs at their facilities. This course was customized for the aquatic sector by ILCIRA, RFA is a neuroscience-informed, strength-based certification that teaches participants how to recognize signs of declining resilience, engage in meaningful supportive conversations, and create a culture of psychological preparedness before critical incidents occur.

Who Should Attend?

We recommend that each facility send at least two (2) people to earn their three-year certification.

Aquatic Leader or Managers that serve as Program Sponsors. These are the leaders who will champion and sustain the peer support program at your facility - a director, manager, or supervisor with the authority to integrate peer support into your team's operations. Leaders leave this course with both the peer support skills and the strategic understanding to build the program infrastructure their staff need.
At least one front-line aquatic professional who is not involved in any disciplinary role at the facility. Effective peer support depends on trust. Staff are far more likely to open up to a colleague they see as a supportive peer, not someone associated with corrective action or supervision. Starting with at least one trusted front-line team member gives your program credibility and accessibility from day one*.

What This Course Covers

The Predictive 6 Factor Resilience Model (PR6): A structured framework for understanding and strengthening the six measurable domains of resilience (Composure, Collaboration, Vision, Reasoning, Health, and Tenacity) with practical application to aquatic work environments.

The ALL Protocol: A conversational system grounded in established psychological principles that gives peer supporters a repeatable, confident approach to supportive interactions with coworkers.

Pre-Incident Education on Critical Incident Stress Management: An orientation to CISM principles, the stress continuum, and how critical incidents affect aquatic professionals so your team understands the psychological landscape and what post-incident procedures need to be in place before an incident occurs, not after. Participants will be provided a Standard Operating Procedure Template that can be customized to your facility.

Protective Factors for Aquatic Professional Mental Health: Identification of the specific resilience factors that serve as buffers against cumulative stress, psychological stress, and the unique pressures of aquatic operations from seasonal staffing to high-acuity rescue environments.

Best Practices for Training and Preparing Staff for Critical Incidents: Practical guidance for building a peer support program structure, establishing psychological readiness as an operational standard, and creating pathways to additional support including when and how to connect staff with Employee Assistance Programs, local, national and professional mental health resources.

Self-Care and Sustainability: The Anchor self-management system, designed to protect peer supporters from burnout while actively supporting others.

Suicide Risk Recognition: Idetification of warning signs across each resilience domain, aligned with RFA's accreditation as a suicide prevention training course.

Course Format

RFA is delivered in a blended learning format designed for busy aquatic professionals: a virtual opening session online, self-paced computer-based training through the Driven Resilience online platform, and a virtual closing session online*.

Upon successful completion, participants receive a 3-year RFA Peer Support Certification, an RFA Responder Kit with course materials, and 12 months of access to the Driven Resilience App for continued skill development.

*Note that there is a blended option available in conjunction with the 2027 International Aquatics & Water Safety Conference which includes a LIVE closing session as a pre-conference workshop. Learn more here.

Upcoming Courses

June

August

Opening Session: June 2, 2026, 1:00–4:00 PM Eastern

Computer Based Training: 10 hours of computer-based training may be completed on your schedule, but must be completed by the Closing Session.

Closing Session: June 25, 2026, 1:00–4:00 PM Eastern

Opening Session: Aug 4, 2026, 1:00–4:00 PM Eastern

Computer Based Training: 10 hours of computer-based training may be completed on your schedule, but must be completed by the Closing Session.

Closing Session: Aug 25, 2026, 1:00–4:00 PM Eastern

September

October

Opening Session: Sept 1, 2026, 1:00–4:00 PM Eastern

Computer Based Training: 10 hours of computer-based training may be completed on your schedule, but must be completed by the Closing Session.

Closing Session: Sept 24, 2026, 1:00–4:00 PM Eastern

Opening Session: Oct 1, 2026, 1:00–4:00 PM Eastern

Computer Based Training: 10 hours of computer-based training may be completed on your schedule, but must be completed by the Closing Session.

Closing Session: Oct 22, 2026, 1:00–4:00 PM Eastern

What You'll Receive

Immediate Online Access

Participant Kit (mailed to you within 3–4 weeks):

Resilience First Aid Manual – Your comprehensive guide to the RFA framework.
Resilience First Aid Responder Kit – Practical tools to support resilience in others.

Interactive training portal
12 months free access to the Driven Resilience App
PR6 Resilience Report

Certification

AOAP Member Discount

3-Year Certification as a Resilience First Aid Responder, empowering you to make a meaningful impact in your community or workplace.

Discounts Available for AOAP Members! Log into the AOAP Member Portal and click Member Only Resources for your discount code!

Questions ?

Registration Support or Questions? Contact enrollments@ilcira.org for assistance.

Important Notes for All Courses

Blended Learning – You will be required to complete 10 hours of computer-based training between the Opening Session and the Closing Session. In order to receive certification to provide peer support, this training must be completed prior to the start of the Closing Session.
This course teaches resiliency and peer support skills that require time to learn effectively. We highly recommend dedicating a few hours each day to computer-based training rather than attempting to “cram” the training into just a few days. Previous participants have shared how valuable it is to take your time to learn the skills as you progress through the program. In other words, you will get out of this course what you put into it.
Participants must be at least 18 years of age (or have reached the age of majority in their country/jurisdiction).
RFA Course Manual & Responder Kit ship from Sydney, Australia. Shipping takes aproximately 3-4 weeks. We recommend registering as early as possible for the course, but participants do not need the RFA manual and responder kit to participate in the course. These tools are designed to be a reference after the course. During the course, you will have access to the learning management system and a phone app for reference.
RFA does not provide the training necessary to support teams following a critical incident. ILCIRA’s Aquatic Critical Incident Response Team offers support to lifeguards, aquatic leaders and allied aquatic professionals after a critical incident. Contact us at info@ilcira.org to learn more about how your facility can access these services.

AOAP & ILCIRA Partnership

The Association of Aquatic Professionals (AOAP) and the International Lifeguard Critical Incident Response Alliance (ILCIRA) are proud to announce a new strategic alliance focused on strengthening mental health and critical incident support for lifeguards and allied aquatic professionals while addressing an often-overlooked aspect of aquatic safety: the psychological impact of potentially traumatic events.

This alliance combines AOAP’s national leadership in aquatic education, operations, and professional development with ILCIRA’s specialized expertise in critical incident stress management, peer support, and responder mental health. Together, the organizations will collaborate to expand access to training, resources, and best practices that help aquatic professionals prepare for, respond to, and recover from high-impact incidents while advancing professional standards that prioritize responder wellness.

One of our key initiatives is bringing Resilience First Aid Certification courses to you through a unique blended learning option with other aquatic professionals.