ГО “Об’єднання Добровольців” та їхня робота з ветеранами в громадах. NGO “Union of Volunteers” and their work with veterans in communities

Переможці конкурсу Варто+ГО від Українського ветеранського фонду Мінветеранів — громадська організація “Об’єднання Добровольців” з Львівської області. Їхня пріоритетна задача на сьогодні — допомогти ветеранам та ветеранкам, дорослим та дітям, які того потребують, адаптуватись до цивільного життя, соціалізуватись та прийняти нові умови та реальність.

The winners of the Varto+NGO competition from the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans is the public organization “Union of Volunteers” from Lviv region.  Their top priority task today is to help veterans, adults and children who need it, adapt to civilian life, socialize, and accept new conditions and reality.

Безкоштовна психологічна допомога. Free psychological help

Безкоштовна психологічна допомога: як її отримати ветеранам та їх рідним. Ментальне здоров’я не менш важливе ніж фізичне. Ветерани війни та члені їх родин мають право на безоплатну психологічну реабілітацію, повідомляє Міністерство охорони здоров’я України.
Free psychological help: how veterans and their families can get it. Mental health is no less important than physical health. War veterans and their family members have the right to free psychological rehabilitation, as reported by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

Ветерани. Veteran Hub

Ветерани та ветеранки починають повертатися до цивільного життя та роботи, а працедавці — готуватися до їх повернення. Спільна праця незабаром стане основою нашої повоєнної відбудови, тож завдання компаній — забезпечити гідні можливості та процеси при працевлаштуванні для захисників та захисниць. Ми пропонуємо компаніям підтримку та супроводжуємо їх у впровадженні дружніх до ветеранів практик.

Veterans are beginning to reintegrate into civilian life and work, while employers are preparing for their return.  Collaborative efforts will soon form the cornerstone of our post-war reconstruction, so it is the task of companies to ensure dignified opportunities and processes for the employment of defenders. We offer support to companies and accompany them in implementing veteran-friendly practices.

Організація психосоціальної допомоги ветеранам війни та членам їхніх сімей. The Organization of Psychosocial Assistance to War Veterans and Their Families

Метою цього видання є сприяння органам місцевого самоврядування (на рівні терито ріальних громад) в організації роботи з надання психосоціальної допомоги ветеранам / ветеранкам війни, особам, прирівняним до них, та членам їхніх сімей, членам сімей загиблих (померлих) захисників України (далі – «ветеранам та членам їхніх сімей»). The aim of this publication is to facilitate local self-government bodies in organising work on providing psychosocial assistance to war veterans, persons equal to them, and their family members,  as well as to the families of deceased defenders of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as “veterans and their family members”).

Психологічна робота з військовослужбовцями. Psychological work with soldiers

У методичному посібнику викладено основні етапи організації системи медико-психологічної реабілітації військовослужбовців – учасників бойових дій. Запропоновано основні принципи та критерії діагностики посттравматичних стресових розладів і розладів адаптації. The methodological guide outlines the main stages of organizing a system for medical and psychological rehabilitation of military personnel – participants in combat operations. It proposes basic principles and criteria for diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorders and adaptation disorders.

Керівництво із самодопомоги. Self-Help Guide Topics

Керівництво із самодопомоги було розроблено фахівцями з питань психічного здоров’я, які працюють у Combat Stress у співпраці з ветеранами. Серія була спеціально розроблена, щоб надати поради та підтримку колишнім військовослужбовцям і жінкам, які мають проблеми з психічним здоров’ям. Self-help guides have been developed by the specialist mental health clinicians working at Combat Stress in collaboration with veterans. The series has been specifically designed to provide guidance and support to former servicemen and women experiencing mental health issues.

Depression treatment for Veterans

Depression is a serious illness, but this common mental health problem is also highly treatable. Find out how to access depression health services through VA.

Veteran suicide prevention

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A resource page specifically focused on suicide prevention within the context of mental health care for veterans. The VA offers a wide range of services and support for veterans, including mental health care, and suicide prevention is a critical aspect of that care due to the heightened risk of suicide among veterans. This page likely provides information about suicide prevention resources, support services, and strategies aimed at helping veterans who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

Veteran and Military Suicide Prevention Resources

The webpage that provided resources related to veteran and military suicide prevention. It likely contains information, support services, and resources aimed at preventing suicide among veterans and active-duty military personnel. These resources may include hotlines, support groups, counseling services, educational materials, and other tools designed to help individuals in crisis or those who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues.

Ageism, an invisible social determinant of health for older Syrian refugees in Lebanon: a service providers’ perspective

Older refugees face particular challenges because their health and social needs are largely overlooked in humanitarian programmes, policies and research. The few studies available have shown that older refugees suffer from a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases, including mental health problems, increased social isolation and poverty, and difficulty accessing health and social services. This article aims to provide further in-depth understanding of how service providers perceive health and social challenges of older Syrian refugees living in Lebanon.

Addressing the mental health needs of older adult refugees: Perspectives of multi-sector community key informants

Older adult refugees, in particular, may be at a unique risk but are underrepresented in public health promotion programs or research. When unaddressed, mental health issues can have long-term consequences for morbidity and early mortality among older adult refugees. Resettled refugees experience a high prevalence of mental health-related issues, such as depression, psychological distress, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to their native-born counterparts.

A claim to dignity: Ageing on the move

There is little information on the situation of older persons on the move in the Latin American region. This regional evaluation is the first one to make a comprehensive analysis on the intersectionality between ageing and human mobility. The current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic is also analysed, including the worsening access to rights and services and the impact in their lives.

Policy on Age, Gender and Diversity Accountability

The purpose of this Policy is to reinforce UNHCR’s longstanding commitment to ensuring that people are at the centre of all that we do. This requires that we apply an age, gender, and diversity (AGD) approach to all aspects of our work. Through this Policy, we aim to ensure that persons of concern can enjoy their rights on an equal footing and participate meaningfully in the decisions that affect their lives, families, and communities.

Facilitator’s Guide: Working with older persons in forced displacement

To strengthen the capacities of UNHCR and its partners to achieve better lives for older peoples,  this  training  module  on  Strengthening  the  protection  of  older  persons  in  forced  displacement was developed in collaboration with HelpAge  International  to  provide  a  basic  introduction  about older age in the context of forced displacement. It analyses the protection concerns that older persons face in  these  situations  and  explores  strategies  that  can  be  used to mitigate them.

Older persons in forced displacement- intersecting risks

In 2017, 85% of displaced persons were hosted in developing regions5, where service systems, including services required by older persons, are already under pressure and capacity to scale up these systems is limited. Further, forcibly displaced older persons often face additional obstacles to integrating into their host communities, due to having fewer opportunities for participation and building of social networks, such as through education or work.

Older refugees – Integration Handbook

Older refugees face particular risks during displacement, and face additional barriers to access protection and assistance, including during resettlement and integration. Stakeholders involved throughout the integration process should develop a thorough understanding of the needs, capacities and barriers that older persons may face, and plan dedicated strategies to address them.

Practical guidelines on psychosocial health and wellbeing: Elderly refugees

These PRACTICAL GUIDELINES have been produced to support helpers in their work. This set of guidelines focuses on elderly people who, because of their age and associated health profiles, may be especially vulnerable to uprooting and forced displacement, and build on a long experience dealing with the psychosocial impact of conflicts and natural disasters. The elderly are a population that is often forgotten and neglected in conflict and other humanitarian settings. The guidelines are not meant to be prescriptive, but rather seek to provide ideas on how to respond to what are likely to be new circumstances, new questions and new demands.

Older persons

During times of displacement, older persons have urgent rights and needs. They can be particularly at risk of abuse and neglect during conflict or natural disasters, when a lack of mobility, diminished vision and chronic illnesses can make access to support difficult. Today, older refugees make up some 4 per cent of the overall population of concern to UNHCR, and by 2050 more of the world will be over 60 than under 12 years old.

Child Soldier Teaching Guide

Michel is like many other five-year-olds: he has a loving family and spends his days going to school and playing soccer. But in 1993, the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Michel and his family live, is a country in tumult. One afternoon, Michel and his friends are kidnapped by rebel militants and forced to become child soldiers. Child Soldier is the sometimes heartbreaking but ultimately inspiring true story of the triumph of the human spirit.

Child Soldiers. Care & Protection of Children in Emergencies – A Field Guide

The “Field Guide to Child Soldier Programs in Emergencies” is one in a series compiled by Save the Children (SC) as part of its Children and War Capacity Building Initiative. The SC Children in Crisis Unit developed this initiative in order to support SC staff in responding to the priority care and protection needs of children and adolescents during new emergencies and in situations of chronic armed conflict or displacement.

3 ways you can protect children in conflict zones

The scenes of heartbreak, chaos and ruin from conflict are gut-wrenching. It’s hard not to feel hopeless and helpless in the face of it. But, child sponsors around the world bring hope into some of humanity’s darkest hours – even when they don’t realise it. Here’s how. Bewildered kids clutching teddy bears and their mother’s hand. Tear on faces turned away. Bundles and backpacks clenched as a lifeline to a dislocated life.

How to help children cope with war trauma

But effects go beyond mental health. Children who had been exposed to bombing and combat in Germany during World War Two, for example, were more than twice as likely to suffer from a severe illness in their early sixties, possibly a result of an overburdened autonomic stress system. Other studies on German children living through the same war found that traumatic stress came with a higher risk of multiple poor health outcomes including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, asthma, back pain and even cancer. Some research indicates that such illnesses may even be transmitted to the next generation of children through epigenetic mechanisms.

Children in war and conflict

In this guide, you will find links to resources related to children and their experiences during war and large societal conflicts, and the after‐effects of these events on children. Resources include books, media reports, documentaries, newspapers and more. For further assistance, please contact the Museum’s Carte International Reference Centre

How to Talk with Children About the Conflict in Ukraine

As hostilities in Ukraine escalate, children may see and hear things about the crisis in the news, leading to feelings of uncertainty, anxiety and fear, which parents and caregivers need to address, Save the Children’s psychologists warn.

Here is how to talk to your children about conflict and war

During times of conflict and crisis, children, parents, caregivers experience anxiety and stress. More than ever, families should stand together, encourage, and support each other and strive to keep on one team – getting through these tough times together. As the family navigates through the tough times, children will always look up to adults – parents and caregivers for information, guidance, courage, support in all forms including love and hugs. They want a sense of safety and security. Here are some tips on how to approach the conversation with your child and to provide them with support and comfort.

How to talk to your children about conflict and war

When conflict or war makes the headlines, it can cause feelings such as fear, sadness, anger and anxiety wherever you live. Here are some tips on how to approach the conversation with your child and to provide them with support and comfort.

Представлення посібника, Діти, які зазнали сексуального насильства під час війни, конфлікту, гуманітарної кризи та у спільнотах з обмеженими ресурсами. Introduction to the manual, Children exposed to sexual violence in war, conflict, humanitarian crises, and low resource communities

Представляємо короткий огляд на посібник , який вчить, як працювати з дітьми, які зазнали сексуального насильства.Його розроблено для помічників і піклувальників. У ньому містяться рекомендаціями щодо того, як надавати психосоціальну підтримку з урахуванням культурних особливостей дітей, які зазнали сексуального насильства під час війни, конфлікту, гуманітарної кризи та у спільнотах з обмеженими ресурсами. This is a short introduction to the manual that teaches how to work with children who have been sexually abused. It is designed for helpers and caregivers. Its guidelines set out how to provide culturally sensitive psychosocial support to children who have experienced sexual abuse in war, conflict, humanitarian crises, and resource-limited communities The manual can be down loaded here.

Summary Report from the International Workshop on “Building Knowledge to Improve Existing Service Responses for All Survivors”

This report presents a summary of discussions conducted during an international workshop “Building knowledge to improve existing service responses for all survivors – Developing a conceptual framework outlining the links between conflict-related sexual violence against men and boys, health sector and policy responses for conflict-affected populations” held in London, UK, on 11-12 October 2018 and co-organised by All Survivors Project (ASP) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

Checklist on preventing and addressing conflict-related sexual violence against men and boys

The pervasive nature and appalling consequences of sexual violence against women and girls in situations of armed conflict is well established. Although women and girls are disproportionately affected, the extent to which conflict-related sexual violence impacts men and boys is also increasingly recognised. Rape and other forms of sexual violence involving males perpetrated by state security forces or non-state armed groups (NSAGs) has been documented in at least 30 different states affected by armed conflict in recent years.

Preventing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Detention Settings: Principles and Commentary

The pervasive nature and appalling consequences of sexual violence against women, men, girls, and boys, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI+) persons, in situations of armed conflict are well established. Detention settings are a key context of vulnerability to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), as noted by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2467 (2019).[1] These Principles aim to outline and clarify existing international law and standards to prevent and address CRSV in detention settings.

Responding to conflict-related sexual violence against boys associated with armed forces and armed groups in reintegration programmes

In the Central African Republic (CAR), thousands of children have been recruited and used by parties to armed conflict over the last decade, predominantly by non-State armed groups (NSAGs). According to UN reports, many girls have been recruited for a wide range of purposes, including sexual exploitation or otherwise subjected to sexual abuse during their association with the groups, with devastating consequences for the girls. As is the case elsewhere, far less is known about how sexual violence impacts boys associated with fighting forces, such as happens in CAR, and about the needs for care and support that may arise from it.

Legacies and Lessons: Sexual Violence against Men and Boys in Sri Lanka and Bosnia & Herzegovina

ri Lanka is not unique in this regard, but nevertheless represents an important example of how and why sexual violence against men and boys is committed in conflict settings, and the impact it has. It also presents opportunities to break the old pattern of denial that has been typical in many other conflictaffected countries. In particular, commitments by the government of Sri Lanka to establish various judicial and non-judicial transitional justice mechanisms could, if honoured, create an opportunity for developing the specialised structures, strategies and capacities necessary to ensure that sexual violence against men and boys is appropriately addressed as part of broader transitional justice processes. The fact that sexual violence by state security forces in Sri Lanka against both males and females continues today, albeit at reduced levels, creates an added urgency to act.

“Destroyed from Within” Sexual Violence against Men and Boys in Syria and Turkey

The armed conflict in Syria has resulted in a human rights and humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions in which the civilian population suffers daily threats to life, dignity and wellbeing. Humanitarian needs far outstrip the capacity to respond, and access to aid is routinely denied by all sides. The conflict has also given rise to massive internal displacement and an unprecedented refugee crisis in which millions of people have fled the country. Turkey hosts by far the greatest number of refugees from Syria, at just over 3.5 million people, or 63.3% of registered refugees from Syria in the region.

“I Don’t Know Who Can Help” Men and Boys facing Sexual Violence in Central African Republic

Sexual violence against women and girls in the Central African Republic (CAR) has been described by the UN and international human rights organisations as a “weapon of war”. Although it is acknowledged that men and boys have been among the victims of sexual violence, they have not been the focus of research or investigations. As a result, the scale and nature of sexual violence against males in CAR is little understood and men and boys have not been systematically factored in to protection strategies or into the design and implementation of responses for survivors.

Enhancing Survivor-Centred Healthcare Response for Male Victims/Survivors of Sexual Violence in Afghanistan

Women and girls in Afghanistan are extremely vulnerable to gender-based violence (GBV) and face substantial barriers accessing healthcare facilities to seek help after such violence. This is widely known. Much less is known about sexual violence committed against men and boys, the barriers male victims/survivors face accessing healthcare facilities, or the quality of healthcare provision available to them. This report presents the findings of research conducted by international non-governmental organisation All Survivors Project (ASP) with its partner on the ground in Afghanistan, Youth Health and Development Organization (YHDO).

Sexual Violence against Men and Boys in the Context of the Armed Conflict in Colombia

This report concerns sexual violence committed against men and boys during the armed conflict in Colombia and the investigation of such violence pursuant to the truth and justice framework established under the 2016 Peace Agreement between the Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — People’s Army (FARC-EP – Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo). Sexual violence was pervasive in the context of Colombia’s armed conflict and was perpetrated by all parties. Recognising the serious nature of this crime, the Constitutional Court of Colombia ordered that it be prioritised by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP), the justice component of the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition established under the Peace Agreement.

“They violently raped me”: sexual violence weaponized to crush Iran’s “woman life freedom” uprising.

Iran: Security forces used rape and other sexual violence to crush “Woman Life Freedom” uprising with impunity

Security forces in Iran used rape and other forms of sexual violence, amounting to torture and other ill-treatment, to intimidate and punish peaceful protesters during the 2022 “Woman Life Freedom” uprising, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.

The 120-page report, “They violently raped me”: Sexual violence weaponized to crush Iran’s “Woman Life Freedom” uprising, documents in detail the harrowing ordeals of 45 survivors, including 26 men, 12 women and seven children, who were subjected to rape, gang rape and/or other forms of sexual violence by intelligence and security forces following their arbitrary arrest for challenging decades of oppression and entrenched gender-based discrimination. To date, the Iranian authorities have not charged or prosecuted any officials for the instances of rape and other sexual violence documented in the report.

 

Як впоратися з само- ушкодженням і самознищенням. How to deal with self –harm and self-destruction following trauma experiences.

Чому діти та підлітки завдають собі болю? Що саме викликає таку поведінку? Що підтримує  таку поведінку? Якого типу майстерності / стратегії подолання бракує?. Why children and teen-agers inflict pain upon themselves? What causes the behavior? What maintains the behavior? What kind of mastery /coping strategies are missing. PowerPoint is available in English and Ukrainian.

Як боротися з проблемами зі сном та кошмарами. How to deal with sleeping problems and nightmares.

Зв’язок між травматичним досвідом і проблемами зі сном. Коли люди травмовані, вони часто страждають від постійних спогадів і снів про травматичні події. Минуле повертається до них у найтривожніший спосіб. The connection between traumatic experiences and sleeping problems. When people are traumatized, they often suffer from persistent flashbacks and dreams about the traumatic event. The past is revisiting them in the most disturbing manner. PowerPoint is available in English and Ukrainian.

Як впоратися зі синдромом «закриття» та депресією. How to deal with «shutdown» syndrome and depression.

Невідкладна допомога. Аналіз суїциду, безпечні процедури, отримання знань про досвід потерпілого, пошук і підтримка його численних ресурсів.  Acute help. Suicidal assessment, safety procedures, obtaining the knowledge about survivor’s experiences, finding, and supporting his many resources. PowerPoint is available in English and Ukrainian.

Загальна реакція тривоги та панічні атаки. Як регулювати дитину донизу. General anxiety reaction- and panic attacks. How to regulate the child down.

Що потрібно робити, щоб допомогти дитині при панічних атаках. Як впоратися з гіперзбудженням і панічними атаками. What is needed when helping a child with panic attacks. How to deal with hyperarousal and panic attacks. PowerPoint is available in English and Ukrainian.

Why is Cultural Competence Important in Mental Health Care?

Cultural competency means that, as a provider, you are able to interact effectively with people of different cultures, by incorporating their unique beliefs, behaviors, and needs into their diagnosis and treatment plan. Simply put, a culturally competent mental health care provider is able to consider how someone’s culture, race, and ethnicity may influence their mental health, and the best way to treat them.

About minorities and human rights

An ethnic, religious or linguistic minority is any group of persons which constitutes less than half of the population in the entire territory of a State whose members share common characteristics of culture, religion or language, or a combination of any of these.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Care: Evidence and Policy Implications

In the mental health arena, unlike general health, health care disparities predominate over disparities in mental health per se. Strategies to improve health care in general, such as improving access to care and improving the quality of care, would do much to eliminate mental health care disparities. However, a diverse mental health workforce, as well as provider and patient education, are important to eliminating mental health care disparities.

Supporting the Mental Health of Minorities

Sexual, gender and ethnic minorities have faced significant health-related difficulties, especially in terms of mental health. In the past decade, many studies have been published focusing on the mental health scenario for these groups. There is a need to develop and implement various initiatives, including social support groups, to provide discrimination-free assistance.

Mental Health of Children of Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities in Europe

This paper aims to review immigration trends in Europe and identify problems and needs of immigrant and ethnic minority children and youth with respect to mental health services.

Psychological Treatment of Ethnic Minority Populations

The call for cultural competence in mental health practice has been a frequent theme voiced by the four major ethnic minority psychological associations. In an effort to address concerns and provide assistance to service providers, these four associations have produced this booklet, Psychological Treatment of Ethnic Minority Populations.

Understanding ethnic inequalities in mental healthcare in the UK: A meta-ethnography

Evidence regarding the presence and persistence of ethnic inequalities in mental healthcare is well established. The reasons for these inequalities and lack of progress in diminishing them are less understood. This meta-ethnography aims to provide a new conceptual understanding of how ethnic inequalities are created and sustained; this is essential to develop effective interventions. Specifically, we sought to understand why people from ethnic minority groups are underrepresented in primary care mental health service provision and overrepresented in crisis pathways and detention.

Us Too. Sexual Violence Against North Korean Women & Girls

UsTooNK This publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence, with the exception of all photos and graphics. You may copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt this publication, except for its photos and graphics, provided that you attribute the work to the Korea Future Initiative and its author and it is used for non-commercial, educational, or public policy purposes. Korea Future Initiative welcomes requests for permission to translate this publication, in part or in full. Applications and enquiries should be addressed to the contact information found on the website. The full licence terms are available from: Recommended citation Burt, J. (2018). Us Too: Sexual Violence Against North Korean Women and Girls. London: Korea Future Initiative. Published by Korea Future Initiative, London, United Kingdom. Author James Burt Research Assistants Jaeyoung Wee; Nah-Yeon Kim; Heejin Choi; Young Sun Song; Nayoung Ahn; Sohyeon Song; Suyeon Yoo; Mira Shin; Younghoon Jo. Designed by Alex Howell Cover Photograph Songdowon International Children s Union Camp. Wŏnsan, North Korea by Stephan. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Available at

Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

On 21 March 2013, at its 22nd session, the United Nations Human Rights Council established the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Resolution A/HRC/RES/22/13 mandates the body to investigate the systematic, widespread and grave violations of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, with a view to ensuring full accountability, in particular for violations which may amount to crimes against humanity.

Formulating Japan’s UNSCR 1325 national action plan and forgetting the “comfort women”

In September 2015, the Japanese government announced its first national action plan (NAP) to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325, just ten days after forcefully legislating controversial security bills that would effectively lift the constitutional restrictions on overseas exercise of military force. Why did the conservative administration embrace Resolution 1325 while propelling militarization? This paper examines the formulation process of Japan’s NAP, focusing on gendered struggle over remilitarization and war memory, especially that of the “comfort women,” or Japanese imperial military sexual slavery during World War II. I will examine how post–Cold War remilitarization in Japan was closely intertwined with the struggle over war memory and the gender order of the nation, and how the conservative administration embraced international gender equality norms in an attempt to identify itself as a powerful liberal democracy engaged in maintaining the international security order, and to erase the memory of imperial military sexual violence in the past.

Digital Technology for Building Capacity of Non-specialist Health Workers for Task-Sharing and Scaling Up Mental Health Care Globally

In this perspectives article, we consider the potential that digital technology holds for supporting non-specialist health workers in delivering evidence-based mental health care. Specifically, from our search of the academic literature, we identified seven promising examples from primary care settings in different low-income and middle-income countries (including India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Peru, China, and Nigeria) where digital platforms are being used to support delivery of mental health care from a variety of non-specialist providers by offering training, digital tools for diagnosis, guiding treatment, facilitating supervision, and integrating services. We summarize these examples and discuss future opportunities to use digital technology for supporting the development of a trained, effective, and sustainable mental health workforce. We also consider the potential to leverage these technologies for integrating mental health care into existing health systems in low resource settings.

Unspeakable Crimes Against Children: Sexual violence against children

Save the Children warns that children make up the majority of victims of sexual violence in world’s conflict and post-conflict zones. In the report ‘Unspeakable Crimes Against Children’, figures and testimonies are collated from a range of countries affected by conflict over the past decade, including Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia and Colombia. Reliable data on the issue is limited, as much sexual abuse goes unreported, but taken together, the figures collated in the report indicate that children frequently make up the majority of sexual abuse victims in war and its aftermath. Despite this, programmes to prevent children falling victim to sexual violence and help them recover from attacks remain chronically underfunded. The most recent complete global figures show that less than a quarter of the budget needed to protect children and women in emergencies was available. During its leadership of the G8, the UK government has vowed to prioritise the issue of sexual violence in conflict

Video. Launch: Supporting helpers in their work with survivors Supporting helpers in their work with survivors of sexual violence

After several years of working with the manual on sexual violence against women in war and conflict situations, we at MHHRI are proud to introduce these two new manuals. These manuals represent an important tool for helpers and caregivers working with children, boys and men who have survived sexual abuse in war, conflict, humanitarian crises and contexts with limited resources.

Our aim with the manuals is to provide practical guidance for helpers on how best to support and help boys, men and children who have experienced sexual violence in various challenging situations. The manuals deal with different aspects of these topics, how traumatic events affect the mental health of those exposed, as well as practical approaches and tools that can be used to meet their psychological needs.

The well-being guide: reduce stress, recharge and build inner resilience

This well being guide is for individual self-care, and for peers and teams who work together. Each section can be tested or incorporated within regular meetings with a focus on caring for the carers. Humanitarians and people working in helping professions need to take care of themselves in order not to burn out and to be effective in their work. The exercises in this guide are for all humanitarian staff, volunteers and for recipients of mental health and psychosocial support services. If practised and used regularly, this catalogue of tried and practised tools can regulate stress, calm when distressed, promote sleep, and strengthen inner resilience. This guide is available in Ukrainian, Arabic, Portuguese, Bosnian and French.

Save the Children Psychological First Aid Training Manual for Child Practitioners with additional resources.

The Psychological First Aid Training Manual for Child Practitioners (PFA) was developed by Save the Children Denmark for the Child Protection Initiative, to facilitate training in psychological first aid with a focus on children. It is aimed at developing skills and competences that will help child protection staff reduce the initial distress of children who have recently been exposed to a traumatic event. The training targets Save the Childrens staff, partners, and professionals such as teachers, educators, health and social workers etc., and volunteers working directly with children in emergencies or in the aftermath of conflicts, natural disasters and critical events. It is available in Arabic. English, French and Spanish.

Psychological first aid II, Dealing with traumatic responses in children, part II

The PFA II, Dealing with traumatic responses in children manual provides guidance for staff working with children who are severely affected psychologically by acute crisis. It is not a clinical tool and does not in itself qualify staff to engage in clinical interventions. Save the Children’s Psychological First Aid Training for Child Practitioners, which is currently being rolled out in several regions, lays the foundation for providing PFA as a basic psychological support. The manual is available in both English and Arabic.

Two-day Psychological First Aid Training for Child Practitioners, part I

The PFA one-day programme manual is a condensed psychological first aid training based on the original two-day Psychological First Aid Training for Child Practitioners. It builds on adaptations of this manual in Japan, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. This training offers child practitioners skills and competencies to reduce the initial distress of children caused by accidents, natural disasters, conflicts, and other critical incidents. The program is available in both English and Arabic.

A Short Introduction to Psychological First Aid

Psychological first aid is a simple, yet powerful way of helping someone in distress. It involves paying attention to the person’s reactions, active listening and if relevant, practical assistance to help address immediate problems and basic needs. Learning psychological first aid skills and understanding reactions to crises empowers helpers to help others and apply the same skills to their own lives.  A Short Introduction to Psychological First Aid (PFA) contains chapters about What is PFA, Who needs PFA and How to provide PFA. It also contains a short introduction to PFA for children and PFA in Groups.

A Guide to Psychological First Aid

Psychological First Aid for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has been developed for the staff and volunteers of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other organizations working in situations where psychological first aid (PFA) may be relevant. Psychological first aid is a direct response and set of actions to help someone in distress. It is an approach to helping that is particularly well-suited for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as it is based on the fundamental principle of humanity and the intention to help prevent and alleviate human suffering. (In English, Dari, Arabic, French, Japanese, Chinese, and Ukrainian)