By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in emergency settings were rolled out in Srinagar on Frdiay at a two-day workshop, organised by ActionAid International. The guidelines are a WHO-led initiative to set minimum standards for mental health care in emergency situations.
These guidelines have been published by IASC, a committee that is responsible for world-wide humanitarian policy and consists of heads of relevant UN and other intergovernmental agencies, Red Cross and Red Crescent agencies and international and NGO consortium through commissioning of a task force of which ActionAid International is also a member through a highly participatory process.
Various local and international organisations attended the rolling out ceremony, which include Save the Children (SCF), Department of Social Work, Kashmir Univeristy, J&K Yateem Foundation, KOSHISH, ANHAD, Agha Khan Foundation, Jammu Kashmir Association of Social Workers, J&K Yateem Trust, J&K People’s Development Trust, STEPS and HIMAYAT.
The aim of the training workshop is to sensitize the local and other organizations operating in Kashmir about the imperatives of the guidelines.
These guidelines on MHPSS in emergency settings offer essential advice on how to facilitate an integrated approach to address the most urgent mental health and psychosocial issues in emergency situations, which if inadequately addressed, can lead to long term mental health and psychological problems. The guidelines aim to strengthen the humanitarian response in emergencies by all actors, from pre-emergency preparedness through all steps of response programme planning, implementation and evaluation. They are especially useful as a tool for strengthening coordination and advocacy
“Moreover, the guidelines lay out the essential first steps in protecting or promoting people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being in the midst of emergencies. They identify useful practices and flag potentially harmful ones, and clarify how different approaches complement one another” said Shazia Iqbal, Project Officer, ActionAid.
“The guidelines have a clear focus on social interventions and supports. They emphasize the importance of building on local resources such as teachers, health workers, healers, and women’s groups to promote psychosocial well-being. They focus on strengthening social networks and building on existing ways community members deal with distress in their lives” she added.
ActionAid’s response towards addressing mental health and psychosocial needs in support with European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) began in 2003 in Shopian (then a block of district Pulwama), with a focus on women, found to be psychologically the worst affected. By now, this work has spread to seven districts, covering the districts of Shopian, Pulwama, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Ramban, Anantnag and Badgam.