Psychological First Aid for Schools (PFA-S) is an evidence-informed intervention model to assist students, families, school personnel, and school partners in the immediate aftermath of an emergency. PFA-S is designed to reduce the initial distress caused by emergencies, and to foster short- and long-term adaptive functioning and coping.
Traumatized students are especially prone to difficulty in self-regulation, negative thinking, being on high alert, difficulty trusting adults, and inappropriate social interactions (Lacoe, 2013; Terrasi & de Galarce, 2017). They often haven’t learned to express emotions healthily and instead show their distress through aggression, avoidance, shutting down, or other off-putting behaviors. These actions can feel antagonistic to teachers who don’t understand the root cause of the student’s behavior, which can lead to misunderstandings, ineffective interventions, and missed learning time.
Neurobiologically, students can’t learn if they don’t feel safe, known, and cared for within their schools (Aupperle et al., 2012). When teachers are proactive and responsive to the needs of students suffering from traumatic stress and make small changes in the classroom that foster a feeling of safety, it makes a huge difference in their ability to learn.
We also know that in times of crises and disaster there is an increased level of violence, in particular gender-based violence (GBV). GBV is a serious problem in the context of complex emergencies and natural disasters where normal structures of society are seriously affected and alternative safeguards not yet in place. Women and children are often targets of abuse and are the most vulnerable to exploitation, violence, and abuse simply because of their gender, age, and status in society. Women and girls that are displaced from their homes will often experience multiple traumatic experiences.
Guideline by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Rates of mental health problems often increase during natural disasters, war and conflict, and pre-existing disorders may also resurface or be exacerbated by conflict or violence. Although people with mental health disorders constitute a particularly vulnerable group, they are often neglected. Chapter 7 concerns people affected by emergencies.
An evidence-informed modular approach for assisting people in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism: to reduce initial distress, and to foster short and long-term adaptive functioning. It is for use by disaster responders including first responders, incident command systems, primary and emergency health care providers, school crisis response teams, faith-based organizations, disaster relief organizations.
These pages cover the impact of floods on Children and Families with headlines such as Readiness, Response, and Recovery regarding floods.
This toolkit is a compilation of a range of several practice guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in humanitarian contexts, to enable easy access to key multi-lingual resources. The aim is to provide MHPSS practitioners, policy and decision-makers easily-accessible information on resources and tools related to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) that are useful in the case of an emergency.
Better Learning Programme 1: Supporting Students’ Recovery in Emergencies. The handbook Better learning programs is created by NRC, UiT and Jon-Håkon Schultz, Helen Norheim, Sonia Gomez, Annelies Ollieuz. This handbook is for teachers working with children in the demanding conditions of emergencies – war, conflict, natural disasters, and other types of crises – and their aftermath.
ICAR Foundation based in Romania. Support for Ukrainian migrants. Through its teams near the border-crossings with Ukraine, ICAR supports the Ukrainian migrants with medical assistance, social and psychological counselling services.
Psychosocial support to people in Ukraine and impacted countries
The IFRC PS Centre provides a resource library with guides, manuals, and training material to assist the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in psychosocial support to the millions of people who have left their homes in Ukraine and crossed into neighbouring countries.
ICMP works with governments, civil society organizations, justice institutions, international organizations and others throughout the world to address the issue of people who have gone missing as a result of armed conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, irregular migration and other causes. Their mission is to ensure the cooperation of governments and others in addressing the issue of missing persons, including provisions to build institutional capacity, encourage public involvement and address the needs of justice, and to provide technical assistance to governments in locating, recovering and identifying missing persons.
In helping refugees, asylum-seekers, detainees, and torture survivors, a major challenge is quickly locating resources that fit the situation and the individual. This website (set up by a clinical psychologist) collects over 130 useful links to help torture survivors and asylum seekers to find information on guidelines, networks, legal services, etc.
The International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) is an independent organisation of cities and regions offering shelter to writers and artists at risk, advancing freedom of expression, defending democratic values and promoting international solidarity. ICORN member cities offer shelter to those at risk as a direct consequence of their creative activities. Their aim is to be able to host as many persecuted writers and artists as possible in ICORN cities and together with our sister networks and organisations, to form a dynamic and sustainable global network for freedom of expression.
The UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture is a unique and universal humanitarian tool available to the UN and OHCHR providing direct assistance to victims of torture and their family members wherever torture occurs – as outlined in its Mission statement: E | F | S (PDF) and Q&A on the Fund. The Fund aims at healing the physical and psychological consequences of torture on victims and their families, thus restoring their dignity and role in society.
The Trust Fund for Victims envisions a world where the rights of individuals are fulfilled and where survivors of the gravest human rights violations are empowered to live a life of hope, dignity and respect. The Trust Fund for Victims responds to the harm resulting from the crimes under the jurisdiction of the ICC by ensuring the rights of victims and their families through the provision of reparations and assistance.
Working in: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Northern Uganda.
For adult survivors of trauma, violence, and loss through an innovative, clinically-proven model of comprehensive care, advocacy, and outreach. The goal of the organisation is to eliminate barriers to healing and inspire survivors to embrace hope. Based in San Francisco, USA.
Freedom from Torture provide specialist psychological therapy to help asylum seekers and refugees who have survived torture recover and rebuild their lives in the UK. They also provide training for professionals working with torture survivors. With survivors, they campaign for change in the UK and across the world.
The Survivors Trust is the largest umbrella agency for specialist rape and sexual abuse services in the UK and has been providing infrastructure support to members for the past 20 years. They have 120 member agencies based in the UK and Ireland providing information, advice, support and therapy to over 80,000 individual survivors each year. Their services work with victims and survivors of all ages, all genders, of all forms of sexual violence, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, including support for partners and family members.
The IASP was established in 1960 and is the largest international organization dedicated to suicide prevention and to the alleviation of the effects of suicide. It has members in more than 50 countries. Suicide and non-fatal suicidal behaviour are major public health problems across the world. Data from the WHO indicate that approximately one million people worldwide die by suicide each year. This corresponds to one death by suicide every 40 seconds. The number of lives lost each year through suicide exceeds the number of deaths due to homicide and war combined. The information is available in Spanish here.
The primary aim of GCRT is to provide qualified, multidisciplinary services to torture survivors and their family members, to raise public awareness about the issues of torture, to contribute to the prevention of torture, (monitoring human rights violations in prisons) to conduct educational activities concerning torture and inhuman treatment, raise competence of service personnel on how to provide assistance to victims of torture. Also, to train law enforcement personnel dealing with prisoners as well as probation officers.
The National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI) is a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal education and advocacy organization based at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. NCVLI actively promotes comprehensive and enforceable legal rights for crime victims, and access to knowledgeable attorneys to help protect those rights in every case, through victim centered legal advocacy, education, and resources.
A US-based research and educational center on PTSD and traumatic stress. Their mission is to advance the clinical care and social welfare of America’s Veterans and others who have experienced trauma, or who suffer from PTSD, through research, education, and training in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders.
This organization represents “the main coalition of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) fighting against torture, summary executions, enforced disappearances, and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The OMCT works with 200 member organisations to end torture and ill-treatment, assist victims, and protect human rights defenders at risk wherever they are.
This human rights organization helps torture survivors to obtain justice and reparation. Initiated by a torture survivor, established in 1992 as a charity organization in the UK. REDRESS works with survivors to help restore their dignity and to make torturers accountable.
With 160 member centres in 76 countries, the International Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims (irct)r is the largest global network of medical and legal professionals working with and for survivors of torture to rebuild their lives through rehabilitation, and to fight for their human rights and justice.
Topics: How to take care of yourself as a helper in the light of encountering trauma and strong emotions. As a helper, our main resource is our capacity for compassion and empathy. This is also what makes us the most vulnerable. Helen will talk about how we as helpers can last and maintain professional and personal growth.
Як допомогти дітям та молоді під час війни та кризи. Теми: Як подбати про себе як про помічника у світлі травми та сильних емоцій. Ми, як помічники, маємо головний ресурс – це наша здатність до співчуття та емпатії. Це також робить нас найбільш вразливими. Хелен розповість про те, як ми, як помічники, можемо підтримувати професійний та особистий ріст. Незабаром з’являться українські субтитри.
Topics: Advice to parents and caregivers, parental guidance in the time of war. Why parents are important and how they can support their children. In addition how we as helpers can support parents to be that support. Helen talks about the concept of the protective shield, common trauma reactions, and what can we learn from those who cope well and the STOP model.
Як допомогти дітям та молоді під час війни та кризи. Tеми: Поради батькам і вихователям, батьківський супровід під час війни. Чому батьки важливі, та як вони можуть підтримати своїх дітей. Крім того, як ми, як помічники, можемо підтримувати батьків, щоб вони були цією опорою. Хелен розповідає про концепцію захисного щита, типові реакції на травму та про те, чому ми можемо навчитися у тих, хто добре справляється, і про модель СТОП. Незабаром з’являться українські субтитри.
Topics: How to assist adolescents 12-18. How is it to be an adolescent in war and emergency? What is the normal development in our body, mind, and relationships? What are the core developmental tasks during this period? Can these be disturbed by being exposed to trauma? What are the most common reactions? What are good coping strategies?
Як допомогти дітям та молоді під час війни та кризи. Теми: Як допомогти підліткам 12-18 років. Як це бути підлітком під час війні та надзвичайних ситуацій? Який нормальний розвиток нашого тіла, розуму та відносин? Які основні завдання розвитку в цей період? Чи можуть вони бути порушені через травму? Які найпоширеніші реакції? Які хороші стратегії подолання? Незабаром з’являться українські субтитри.
Topics: How children react to trauma and how development might be disturbed. How to assist parents with children age 0-3. How to regulate children age 3-12.
Як допомогти дітям та молоді під час війни та кризи. Теми: Як діти реагують на травму і як може порушитися розвиток. Як допомогти батькам з дітьми 0-3 років. Як регулювати дітей 3-12 років. Незабаром з’являться українські субтитри.
To meet people exposed to threats and serious abuse – to take care of yourself as a helper. Gross violations and stresses related to war and conflict. Frequent reactions in acute stress situations.
Робота з людьми, які зазнали погроз і насильства – піклування про себе як про помічника. Грубі правопорушення та стреси, пов’язані з війною та конфліктом. Реакції, які часто виникають при гострих стресових ситуаціях. Powerpoint available in Ukrainian and in English.
Taking care of myself as a helper in the light of encountering trauma and strong emotions. Examples of over-involvement The therapist becomes full of emotions and feels vulnerable and unstable. Піклування про себе як про помічника в контексті травми та сильних емоцій. Приклади надмірної залученості. Терапевта переповнюють емоції, він відчуває себе вразливим і нестабільним. Powerpoint is available in Ukrainian and in English.
How to help traumatized children- 2. Tools in emotion regulation /regulate arousal. Tools in helping control intrusion. Як допомогти дітям, що зазнали травми -2 Інструменти для регулювання емоцій /регулювання збудження. Інструменти, що допомагають контролювати вторгнення. Powerpoint is available in Ukrainian and in English.
How to help traumatized children. Як допомогти дітям, що зазнали травми. Trauma definition: «an external event that is experienced as a threat to physical or psychological integrity» – what are the elements, what are the reactions and what needs to be repaired. Визначення травми: зовнішня подія, яка сприймається як загроза фізичній або психологічній цілісності – які елементи, які реакції та що потрібно виправити. Powerpoint is available in Ukrainian and in English.
How to take care of yourself as a helper. Піклування про себе як про помічника. If you as a helper do not function well, other tools will be difficult to use. It is crucial therefore that you are aware of the wear and tear that make your role challenging, and take steps to ensure that you can function optimally. Якщо ви як помічник не змозі ефективно працювати, інші інструменти буде важко використовувати. Тому вкрай важливо, щоб ви мали усвідомлення про зношеність, яка робить вашу роль складною, і вживали заходів, щоб забезпечити оптимальне функціонування. Powerpoint is available in Ukrainian and in English.
The triune brain; how to use tools that corresponds to the activation in the brain. Different form of trauma processing. Help the child to process trauma. Триєдиний мозок; як користуватися інструментами, які відповідають за активацію в мозку. Різні форми роботи з травмою. Допоможіть дитині пережити травму. Powerpoint is available in Ukrainian and in English.
How to support families when the child has been abused? Як підтримати батьків, якщо їх дитина зазнала насильства? Discovering that a child has been sexually abused is shocking and traumatic experience for parents and caregivers which impacts both on their sense of self as a parent and as a person. Виявлення того, що дитина зазнала сексуального насильства, є шокуючим та травматичним досвідом для батьків і піклувальників. Травматичний досвід впливає на їх самопочуття як батьків, а також як особистості. Powerpoint is available in Ukrainian and in English.
AHALAR -Body. Resource. Balance – Retreat in the Carpathians mountains. АХАЛАР -Тіло. Ресурс. Баланс – Відпочинок в Карпатах. As part of the project “Improving the culture of mental health of human rights defenders and social workers” we would like to present you a short film. It was filmed during our last retreat in the Carpathians on November 8-13, 2021. We can say that the team’s dream has come true – to shoot and present to the general public a film about the training and recreation program that our Wika Solonitsyna trainers Yuriy Trofimenko and Yuriy Usovich prepared for helpers and human rights defenders. У рамках проекту «Підвищення культури психічного здоров’я правозахисників та соціальних працівників» пропонуємо вашій увазі короткометражний фільм. Він був знятий під час нашого останнього ретриту в Карпатах 8-13 листопада 2021 року. Можна сказати, що мрія команди здійснилася – зняти та представити широкому загалу фільм про програму тренувань та відпочинку наших тренерів Віка Солоніцина. Юрій Трофименко та Юрій Усович підготували для помічників та правозахисників
Inter-Agency Referral Guidance Note for MHPSS. Настанова з міжвідомчого перенаправлення у сфері ПЗПСП. The referral form is intended to be used by humanitarian organisations working with persons with MHPSS problems. The referral form and guidance note are tools to facilitate inter-agency referrals, referral pathways, trainings and workshops, and as a means to document referrals in accordance with minimum standards. “Форма та Настанова з перенаправлення” є інструментами з організації міжвідомчих перенаправлень, шляхів перенаправлення, тренінгів
та семінарів, а також засобом ведення записів щодо перенаправлень згідно з мінімальними стандартами. Available in Ukrainian and in English.