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IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support

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The PS Centre

• Established in 1993• Hosted by the Danish Red Cross• Current set-up since 2004• Income from donors and

consultancies

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The PS Centre

Mission:• “To assist the IFRC Secretariat and

National Societies to develop the capacity to provide psychosocial services at the community level in areas affected by catastrophic events, long-term crises and/or armed conflict”

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The PS Centre

Steering Committee +

Advisory group

Danish Red Cross

Health and Care Department

Geneva

IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support

International Consultants(Roster)

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Community-basedPsychosocial Support

• To assist affected people to attain stable life and integrated functioning, to restore hope, dignity, mental and social well-being and a sense of normality.

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Immediate reactions

Emotional suffering• Shock• Bereavement• Grief• Anxiety• Anger• Confusion• Desperation

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Community-based Psychosocial Support

• Disasters are characterized by loss of:• personal relations and

material goods• an income• social cohesion• dignity, trust and

safety, a positive self-image

• trust in the future

• Creates negative spiral

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Community Based

• We work with National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies

• With Headquarters and local branches• With volunteers, local staff and

international delegates• Programmes are designed in collaboration

with local stakeholders such as beneficiaries, community leaders, social workers and teachers

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Principles of Community-basedPsychosocial Support

• Facilitating resilience within individuals, families and communities

• Respecting independence, dignity and coping mechanisms

• Promoting the restoration of social cohesion and infrastructure

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Community-basedPsychosocial Support

• Reduces long-term negative psychological effects

• Improves a person’s immediate ability to function under stress

• Supports existing coping strategies

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Psychology Psychiatry

Protective environment

Community and family support

Focused mental health & psychosocial support

Specialised mental health and psychosocial services

When is support needed

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Responding to acute needs

PSP meet immediate emotional needs of disaster affected populations by

Accepting acute physical and emotional reactions to shock

Providing immediate support to alleviate long-term consequences

Re-creating reciprocity and trust between people

Re-establishing coherence and belief in the future

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How needs are met

Enhance psychosocial well-being

Meeting survival andProtection needs

Ensuring access to information

Normalising daily life

Re-establishingrelationships

PSP services in the early post-emergency stage aim at

Making opportunities for expressing grief

Providing medical care &

psychological FA

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Traumatic event

Something happens

Identification

Needs AssessmentLocal priorities and definitions of PS well-being

Quick baseline E.g. relief distributions

Development of baseline, indicators, Logframe, M&E procedures

On-going monitoring, FGDs,Reporting

Evaluation

Completion

Implementation

Formulation

Overview of E-PSP cycle of events

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How to develop indicators?

• Indicators for psychosocial programmes are developed on the basis of the emotional responses observed during the assessment

• Since PSP aim at bringing about qualitative change, we need to go beyond numbers

• Never easy to quantify ‘soft’ issues and attach numbers to that which is better described

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Psychosocial indicators

• Beneficiaries have returned to school and work Normal daily routines have been resumed Children are active in play and educational

activities Religious and cultural ceremonies have been

resumed Incidents of violence have decreased Communities are coping with the changed life

situation and future challenges

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Examples of Psychosocial Support

• Tool for families to talk openly about the future and the consequences of living with HIV/AIDS

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Examples of Psychosocial Support

School-based programme in the West Bank

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Examples of Psychosocial Support

• Coffe shop in Aceh• Improvised

community centre

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Examples of Psychosocial Support

• After the earthquake in Bam, Iran• Combination of Counselling and

Recreational/Learning Activities

Activities. Counselling and therapy

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Functions of the PS Centre

Capacity building in National Societies

Operational Assistance to International Programmes

Documentation & Dissemination

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Functions of the PS Centre

• Capacity building • Training of trainers • Support to regional networks• Stress management and staff support• Development of emergency PSP concept

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Functions of the PS Centre

Operational Assistance • Assessment, monitoring, evaluation,

ex:• Assessment • Monitoring and evaluation• Mid-term reviews• Baseline• Indicators

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Functions of the PS Centre

• Documentation and dissemination• Training material• Information sharing• Advocate the relevance of PSP • Participation in international networks,

eg. IASC

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Functions of the PS Centre

• Document database on the web• Mapping of international PSP• Coping with Crisis• http://psp.drk.dk

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Our services

• Advise• How do we get started?• How do we integrate PSP in existing

activities• Link with potential partners or networks

• Consultancies• Assessments, evaluations etc.

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Our services

• Training• Community-based PSP (ToT)• Stress management

• Documentation and information• PSP related documents• Information sharing

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Contact us!

• http://psp.drk.dk

• psp-referencecentre@drk.dk

• naw@drk.dk