Developing inter-agency guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings

This paper describes how and why the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings were developed. A brief overview about the need for the guidelines, as well as the context and background, are included. Also, a discussion on the process of developing them with an eye towards identifying key issues and obstacles, and the strategies used to manage these issues and enable constructive collaboration, is provided. Also included are the processes of building positive networks and relations across agencies and subfields.

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Mental health and psychosocial interventions and their role in poverty alleviation. Proceedings of a conference

Introduction

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The challenge of recovering from war trauma in the African great lakes region: an experience from Centre Ubuntu in the Projet Colombe Network

Introduction

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Children’s needs or children’s rights? The Convention on the Rights of the Child as a framework for implementing psychosocial programmes

The events that characterise complex emergencies: situations of armed conflict, forced migration and natural disasters, can pose a serious risk of violation of children’s rights. Psychosocial interventions in such contexts are generally implemented from a ‘needs’perspective, and children’s human rights are not integrated into the conceptual framework. This article describes the legal and moral obligations of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and outlines the process of human rights based programming and evaluation.

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A potential resource? Ex-militants in Jammu and Kashmir

This article shares some of the findings of a qualitative study of ex-militants in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Men who have been involved in militancy were interviewed about their life experience and ideas. A significant theme that emerged through interpretive data analysis was that of an activist identity that evolved over time and life experience. In this regard, they were found to possess personal qualities and convictions that could be seen as valuable resources for social development and peace building.

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Culturally sensitive supervision by expatriate professionals: basic ingredients

Professionals from western countries often supervise local staff in mental health projects implemented in low-income and emergency-affected contexts. The work of these supervisors is always intercultural: it involves people from different cultural backgrounds. The supervisor has the responsibility to initiate and monitor these intercultural processes. The supervisor must be able to recognize differences within the supervision group and between supervisor and supervisee, and to question the values of any culture, including his/her own.

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Developing relevant knowledge and practical skills of psychosocial work and counselling

In many areasof armed conflict there is an urgent need for relevant knowledge and practical skills around mental health and psychosocial interventions. Knowledge developed at Western universities, or in Western practice, does not easily translate into practice in a non-western context. In this article, an approach to developing relevant knowledge and practical know-how is described that can be utilized within the context of a developing country. This approach also is useful when working with immigrants and refugees in a western context.

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Pioneering work in mental health outreaches in rural, southwestern Uganda

In Uganda, the rates of mental illness are high due to poverty, high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and longterm exposure to civil wars and armed rebellion. The cost of mental health services in urban hospitals remains prohibitive for the rural poor who resort to traditional healers, and many mental health workers prefer working in urban areas. In response, a community outreach program has been developed in rural, southwestern Uganda to deliver effective mental health care.

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Community based sociotherapy in Byumba, Rwanda

A community based sociotherapy programme was implemented in the North of Rwanda in 200.5. This article describes the background of sociotherapy, explains its principles and application in the rapy for refugees in the Netherlands, and gives a justification for the introduction of the approach in a particular setting in post war and post genocide Rwanda. It then focuses on the development of the programme in this setting and addresses recruitment criteria for facilitators.

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The pitfalls of psychosocial evaluations: a critical perspective from a field worker. Feedback from local staff

Evaluations of psychosocial projects are meant to contribute to better projects. However, in practice, the evaluation process, in particular when done by external evaluators, can pose its own difficulties. Based on a wide field experience, the author presents arguments about how evaluations can cause problems, and even produce negative effects in project staff and recipients of assistance. Psychological processes triggered by external evaluators, or appearing in the process of evaluation, can create uneasiness in field workers.

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