A broad range of UNHCR’s key priorities overlap with MHPSS issues – for example, child protection and sexual and gender-based violence [SGBV] prevention and response.
Despite all these existent synergies, UNHCR’s current policies and guidelines do not sufficiently link with MHPSS principles.... For example, the Community Services section, which is closely aligned to the principles of MHPSS and could be well-positioned to guide the implementation of related programs, has not adopted the MHPSS language or approach.
There are opportunities for UNHCR to engage more strongly and clearly in this field. However, this requires a vision for how the organisation as a whole, and particular sectors within the organisation, will engage within the field of MHPSS activities. For a start, UNHCR can work to improve its understanding and framing of mental health and psychosocial issues, and how these issues fit within its broader mandate.
While the majority of MHPSS activities are delivered by implementing partners, UNHCR staff require familiarity with core principles in the field, such as the Intervention Pyramid contained in the IASC Guidelines, in order to support and monitor quality MHPSS activities.
more
This field action guide focuses on the first psychosocial assessment to be conducted just after a calamity strikes or just after a major event in an ongoing armed conflict. While it is necessary to update that initial assessment as the emergency situation evolves through the different phases of reco...very (briefly outlined in the “phase chart”), this mini book is meant to guide the formation of a team to assess the psychosocial as well as physical needs of children, their families and the communities and then the recommendations the team makes for ensuing support.
more
Inter-Agency Task Team on HIV and Young People
Guidance Brief
Accessed: 09.11.2019
Afr J Psychiatry 2011;14:200-207
Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017 Jun; 19(2): 93–107.
NSW Health Disaster Mental Health, handbook 3
The Disaster Mental Health Manual and associated handbooks are intended as a resource for mental health staff who are seeking background information and practical guidance and resources to assist in a disaster mental health response.
The Toolkit is a library of technical tools and resources that have been constructed to support the implementation of national health plans during the recovery phase in the context of the Ebola outbreak. It brings together technical expertise and resources on safe essential services into a single so...urce
more
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents occurs as a result of a child’s exposure to one or more traumatic events: actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. The victim may experience the event, witness it, learn about it from close family members or fr...iends, or experience repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the event. Potentially traumatic events include physical or sexual assaults, natural disasters, and accidents.
more
The NGO Safety and Security Training Report provides a narrative of the research findings, an updated curriculum, and guidance tools for training. It is based on extensive research and interviews with members of the NGO community. The report draws upon existing training materials, community consulta...tions, survey responses, job descriptions, as well as relevant trends in humanitarian and development practice. It captures good practice and global understanding in regard to quality and consistency of NGO security training.
more
UNFPA launches Journalist’s Handbook: Reporting on Gender-Based Violence in Syria Crisis
Amman, 9 March 2015 – Under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali, UNFPA launched a handbook on Reporting on Gender-Based Violence in the Syria Crisis to help journalists better understand ...issues surrounding gender-based violence (GBV) and to write about it more effectively and sensitively.
more
Cyclone in Mozambique and Zimbabwe
Ebola virus disease in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Humanitarian crisis in Mali
Humanitarian crisis in Central African Republic.
A Training Course for Service Providers
Social distancing is the deliberate increasing of physical space between people to stop or slow down the spread of a highly contagious illness. It is a strategy sometimes recommended by public health officials during pandemics. For mental health professionals, the challenges that accompany social di...stancing can place significant roadblocks to daily work. Some agencies and organizations may struggle to continue to provide critical services while also protecting employees’ health.
more