14 December 2020- Humanitarian emergencies such as outbreaks and socio-environmental disasters present many challenges to the Region of the Americas and may create a wide range of problems experienced at the individual, family, community and societal levels.
Responding to this reality, PAHO has developed a capacity building course aimed at increasing general knowledge and awareness of the mental health and psychosocial approach to addressing the psychological and social impacts of collective adversities caused by humanitarian emergencies. The course will equip a group of professionals with relevant concepts, theories, and practical skills to build efficient MHPSS coordination mechanisms. Participants will be empowered to lead and work with other sectors on MHPSS and to respond to technical needs of countries affected by humanitarian emergencies.
This Virtual Course is under the overall management of the mental health and substance use unit of the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. Dr. Claudina Cayetano, Advisor on Mental Health PAHO/WHO, leads the course. The course has forty two (42) participants from the following countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago,. These professionals come primarily from the health and social services sectors and include social workers, psychologists, medical doctors, nurses, educators, and governmental figures.
The didactic program consists of 8 modules, biweekly group work and readings. The modules include:
- The humanitarian sector as a configuration: Epistemology, governance, and framework.
- International standards on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings
- Participatory needs assessment
- Care to the most vulnerable and affected by emergencies
- Emergency MHPSS Project Cycle – tools and standards
- MHPSS Monitoring and Evaluation
- Coordinating MHPSS Service Provision in Humanitarian Crises
The course is taking place from December 2020 to April 2021 and as of February, participants have completed Modules I to III that have covered key concepts of humanitarian architecture, principles and standards, as well as an in depth understanding of the MHPSS field history and global guidelines. These three modules had the participation of external presenters, global MHPSS leads and experts well known in the global field, such as Fahmy Hanna (WHO), Mike Wessels (Columbia University), Ananda Galappatti (MHPSS.net) and Willem Van Put (Fordham University New York).