Why PADI? Be more concerned with the instructor and course content. If taught strictly by the book, rescue is ok but may have some shortcomings when it comes to real life.
Find a course where the instructor meets and then exceeds standards and book content. I spend a fair amount of time talking about PTSD for recreational rescuers. I have a handout I wrote to augment that area that has been published internationally by X-Ray magazine and on the Shearwater blog.
I have students cut me out of a harness.
While they are taught and practice in water rescue breathing, they are told the reality is that it's more likely to result in a bad outcome.
If the rescuer doesn't practice the skill regularly, what is likely to happen in a real situation is they are going to push the victims head underwater, close the airway, and delay proper resuscitation efforts. Get them out of the water or on a stable platform is more likely to be of aid.
There should be surprise scenarios that students are not told about prior to the OW sessions.
While not being abusive, it should be physically and mentally tasking with plenty of debrief time after the course to deal with any residual effects.
I've spoken to a few people whose rescue class rather than give them confidence, made them more hesitant to respond because they were asked to do things they didn't think they would be able to later. That's why alternatives have to be offered. One very small female felt like she failed even though she got a card, because she wasn't able to get a much larger "victim" out of the water. I asked what she was told to do. She told me they said ok, we'll go on to something else.
This was a good opportunity to explain about enlisting on-lookers and using certain rope methods or a net to extract someone. That wasn't done. So rather than give extra confidence, it implanted more doubt.
Don't worry about the agency. Find the right instructor and I would recommend looking up Ryan Custureri at Aqui Watersports.
Ryan Custureri
AQUI Water Sports