The Media Resilience Network

MDRnet.org, powered by Vita-Activa.org, is launching its first certification and recruitment process for bilingual coaches and counselors.

This program is designed to prepare bilingual (english/spanish) professionals to support journalists in moments of crisis with empathy, clarity, and professional care. Over the course of five session, participants will learn how to recognize signs of distress, respond constructively to acute and chronic stress, and provide guidance toward appropriate crisis responses and peer support.

Who We’re Looking For

We are building our team and seeking dedicated blingual (english/spanish) professionals who want to join the Journalism Resilience Program as coaches and counselors. Participants will learn to:

• Recognize stress and burnout unique to journalism.
• Identify the signs of emotional crises.
• Practice de-escalation techniques in moments of heightened distress.
• Connect journalists with peer support networks and appropriate resources.

Certification Details

The program consists of five 90-minute weekly sessions, from November 4 to December 9, 2025
A certificate will be awarded upon completion of 80% of the sessions

Curriculum

• November 4, 2025 / Session 1
  Understanding the Emotional Crisis of Journalists in the U.S.
  Case study | Physical symptoms of stress
• November 11, 2025 / Session 2
  Burnout in Journalism: How it Differs from General Burnout
  Case study
• November 18, 2025 / Session 3
  Recognizing Stress Levels: Acute & Chronic Stress, Anxiety, Insomnia, and the Impact of Online and Vicarious Trauma
  Insights from a Gestalt perspective
• December 2, 2025 / Session 4
  Crisis Response Tools: First Aid for Emergency and Acute Stress Situations
• December 9, 2025 / Session 5
  Action Tools: Applied Training, Practices, and Modeling

Sessions will be conducted primarily in English without translation.

If you are a coach or counselor and want to participate in this training

About Our Trainers

Cesar Montesano, Head of Support Services at MDRnet.org & Mental Health Lead at Vita-Activa.org
Humanistic Counselor and Gestalt Practitioner with over 20 years of experience in private practice and 25 years as a yoga teacher. For the past six years, Montesano has supported journalists navigating crises, burnout, and the emotional impact of online harassment. He has facilitated workshops on resilience, self-care, and psychological first aid, developing practical methodologies tailored to the realities of journalism.

About MDRnet

The Media Resilience Network (MDRnet.org)—a new initiative from Vita-Activa.org and funded by #PressForward—aims to strengthen the emotional and organizational resilience of journalists and newsroom leaders across the United States.

Journalists and media organizations are navigating unprecedented challenges: burnout, online harassment, organizational instability, and the compounding pressures of political, economic, and technological disruption. MDRnet was created to respond with urgency and empathy—through peer support, collaborative problem-solving, and community partnerships that foster resilience from the inside out.

About Vita-Activa.org

Vita-Activa.org is a global helpline for journalists, activists, human rights defenders, and LGBTIQ+ communities facing online violence, stress, and burnout. Services are free, confidential, and anonymous, available in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

📧 support@vita-activa.org (English) | apoyo@vita-activa.org (Español)
📱 WhatsApp/Signal: +56 9 3291 9018
🐦 @VitaActivaOrg

Since 2019, Vita-Activa.org has provided:

• 3,000+ hours of helpline support.
• Participation in international journalism and human rights conferences, including VitaFest, MozFest, RightsCon, NAHJ, and ONA.
• Development of Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Empathic Peer Support methodologies in English and Spanish, expanding resilience networks in Latin America and the U.S.

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Questions or comments, please email us at hello@mdrnet.org