The Portuguese National Republican Guard (GNR), under the auspices of EUTI – European Union Training Initiative, will hold the Hostile Environment Psychological Intervention Course (HEPsyI).
The call for applications is now open.
Developed by the GNR Department of Psychology based on experience in demanding international operations, this course responds to the need to prepare personnel for psychological challenges in civilian and military crisis management missions. High-pressure environments can expose staff to critical incidents, extreme stress and potentially traumatic events. The course aims to strengthen individual and team resilience, emotional preparedness, psychological first aid and peer-to-peer support, while maintaining situational awareness and personal safety.
The objective is to equip participants with practical skills to recognise psychological crises, manage stress, support colleagues in distress and communicate appropriately in critical situations. The residential course uses brief theoretical sessions, role plays, practical exercises and operational simulations.
Training dates: 30 November – 4 December 2026
Training location: Lisbon, Portugal
Target Group: Civilian, police and military personnel from EU Member States, EU institutions and agencies, EU CSDP missions and operations, relevant international organisations and third countries. Priority is given to personnel already deployed or selected for high-risk CSDP missions and operations. Applications from female participants are encouraged.
Capacity: 12–14 participants
Course duration: 5 days (36 hours)
Course language: English
The course covers seven subject areas: psychological crises and critical incidents, psychological trauma, peer-to-peer support, stress-management techniques, psychological first aid, self-injurious behaviours and the communication of critical news. The revised course concept also provides for theoretical and practical assessments. Successful participants will receive joint EUTI and Portuguese Psychologists’ Association certification; those not meeting the required standard will receive a certificate of attendance.
Application
Interested candidates must apply using the online Application Form by 6 November 2026.