Coping with Crisis Newsletter No. 1 2008 Hosted by Coping with Crisis No. 1 - 2008 THE I NTERNATIONAL F EDERATION R EFERENCE C ENTRE FOR P SYCHOSOCIAL S UPPORT Coping with Crisis No. 1 Spring 2008 reactions to critical events, comes an You can also read about how Magen David Editorial increasing understanding that volunteers and Adom (MDA) in Israel is scaling up the staff also are in need of psychosocial support. psychosocial support to ambulance service Contents Helping the providers. After many years with staff turn- Stress and ambulance workers While helping the helpers has been a concept over and signs of burnout in volunteers and By Chaim Rafalowski helpers – it is their for many years, it has become increasingly staff, the National Society has realized the clear what this really entails. We know the importance of not only providing technical What to do with people’s souls right and our duty importance of showing our appreciation, debriefings but also focusing on their well- By Åsta Ytre saying thank you and recognizing the work being after participation in a response. In Yogyakarta Earthquake: School In the International Red Cross and Red done, but we can do more. Support to staff cooperation with us in the Reference Centre Based PSP in Bantul and Klaten Crescent Movement, we say our people are and volunteers must go beyond practical and as well as several other sister societies, MDA By Indah Putri and Cici Riesmasari our greatest asset. We take pride in often technical management to also include is now developing its psychosocial support to Judi Fairholm awarded Florence being the first organisation to respond, thanks psychosocial support. We must remember staff and volunteers. Nightingale Medal 2007 to our global network of local volunteers and that volunteers and staff in many cases are By Åsta Ytre staff. It is, however, sometimes sad to see directly affected by the event that they are MDA uses lessons learned from others while how we take care of this valuable resource. responding to, and if not they will be at the same time making sure they are Treatment of refugees suffering from traumatic stress – a review Sure, we give them the technical skills to do indirectly affected by stepping in and helping adjusted to the local context. This is also how By Silja Henderson, Stephen Regel their work, but what about their mental well- others. we as a Movement should approach the issue. & Peter Berliner being? We need to draw on knowledge generated by Caring for the carers is not only about professionals as well as our own lessons While most now agree that psychosocial providing support after critical incidents. We learned in order to find the best approach for support is an important part of helping need to give them psychosocial knowledge our organization, with all its strengths and Front page photo: vulnerable people, we sometimes forget that and strengthen their abilities to take care of weaknesses, to provide support to our Åsta Ytre / IFRC PS Centre those providing the help also need to be themselves and others. As you can read in the volunteers and staff. They have a right to be Published quarterly by: supported. article from Beslan in this number of Coping supported; we have a duty to do so! The International Federation Reference with Crisis, volunteers and staff benefit a lot Centre for Psychosocial Support Disclaimer: Over the past 15 years, since the creation of from being given relevant skills. The visiting Yours sincerely, The opinions expressed are those of the the Reference Centre, the focus on nurse Lyana says she became more confident contributors and not necessarily of the psychosocial support to beneficiaries has both in her job and on a more personal level. Danish Red Cross and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cres- been ever increasing. Today, most people in In the article from Indonesia you can see how cent Societies. the humanitarian world agree that there is a teachers in the school-based project are also E-mail: need to do more than mend broken bones and in need of special knowledge to deal with Nana Wiedemann, [email protected] rebuild houses. Fortunately, with this their own situation while working with the Head, International Federation Reference Internet: increasing awareness of psychosocial affected children. Centre for Psychosocial Support http://psp.drk.dk ISSN: 1603-3027 2 Coping with Crisis No. 1 - 2008 THE I NTERNATIONAL F EDERATION R EFERENCE C ENTRE FOR P SYCHOSOCIAL S UPPORT News from the Centre Tsunami lessons learned update materials and other psychosocial support The tsunami lessons learned project, programme documents from tsunami started in November 2007, aims to response interventions that will be contribute to the improvement of future available for online accessing; ii) a good psychosocial responses to emergency and practice catalogue of emergency related disaster situations. psychosocial support, iii) an Information booklet on planning and implementation The completed initial activities of the of psychosocial programs and finally iv) a project have included extensive desk project report that will include focus on research, together with field visits to the Red Cross and Red Crescent collaboration five countries worst affected by the and niches regarding psychosocial support tsunami: Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, programming. India and the Maldives. A vast amount of invaluable information has been collected through interviews with key informants Roster meeting, India, 4-8 February and by reviewing critical documents which The annual meeting of the Roster Group Åsta YtreIFRC / PS Centre describe programs at various stages of attached to the Psychosocial Roster group, centre staff and guest gathering for a group photo in Tamil Nadu. development and implementation. Support Centre was arranged over five days in Kerala, India, in the beginning of Preliminary findings highlight that February 2008. Around 30 participants units, and protection in relation to Mental Health and Psychosocial Support although each country presented with from all over the world, both members of psychosocial issues. in Emergency Settings into practice. The specific background circumstances and the roster group and invited guests, were participants were divided into smaller existing resources, many similar present at the meeting. The field visit was organised by American groups and taken around to visit challenges were faced, and a variety of Red Cross, who is presently implementing community- and school-based innovative programmatic developments During the five days, there were three days an “Integrated Community Recovery psychosocial programmes, and saw took place that will undoubtedly contribute of regular meetings and two days with Programme” in tsunami-affected various activities of the project. as useful lessons learned for future field visits in Tamil Nadu. Major issues communities and schools in Kanyakumari, guidelines. discussed at the meeting included school- Tamil Nadu. The programme is run by based programmes in conflict areas, American Red Cross and Indian Red Cross The final expected outputs of the project debriefing and peer support, psychosocial in collaboration. It puts the Inter-Agency include: i) A comprehensive database with support and the health emergency response Standing Commission Guidelines on 3 Coping with Crisis No. 1 - 2008 THE I NTERNATIONAL F EDERATION R EFERENCE C ENTRE FOR P SYCHOSOCIAL S UPPORT Stress and ambulance workers hen you choose to be trained as an ambulance service provider, you W engage in a profession that is highly stressful for most people. When on call, you never know where you will find yourself, what you will see and what kinds of dangers you might encounter. Chaim Rafalowski M.A, director of emergency management – Magen David Adom in Israel Ambulance service provider in Magen when you grow older you understand that David Adom in Israel (MDA), as in many constantly living on the edge takes a Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and personal toll. You learn that the "bad other organizations working in conflict calls", calls that have a negative impact on areas, often have to respond to multi- the responders – for example when casualty incidents, war emergencies, and violence is involved or a child dies, have a terrorist attacks. psychological effect. Ambulance providers generally like this When you have your own children you kind of action. The fact that you never become more sensitive to calls involving know what will happen, but know for sure kids, and when your parents become older that your skills will be tested over and over you sympathize more with elderly patients. again, is one of the reasons for choosing In other words, your defense mechanisms this profession in the first place. However, that served you well for so many years, do not work in the same way as before. The feelings of being a "super hero" and that no call can really get to you, diminishes. While the response itself naturally takes its toll, the constant alert is a much bigger challenge. Known in the MDA as “living by the pager”, the pressure of only having Magen Adom David in Israel free time until the pager goes off is Ambulance service providers in Magen David Adom in Israel, like their colleagues in many difficult to handle. Because of this stress, other countries and National Societies, often encouter dangers. They need a space for you sometimes need someone to talk to, sharing their feelings. Realizing this, MDA is setting up a project to care for the carers. 4 HE NTERNATIONAL EDERATION EFERENCE ENTRE FOR SYCHOSOCIAL UPPORT Coping with Crisis No. 1 - 2008 T I F R C P S someone to ventilate your feelings with as an "unprofessional attitude". learn that feelings are not a legitimate part and to give you some reassurance. of the game, so you convince yourself that Staff changes in If feelings cannot be expressed among you can ignore them.