PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Focus of this workshop session
Part A
When do you start planning a PS response?
Who is involved in a psychosocial response?
Choosing the target group
Choosing the right activities
Activity examples
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Focus of this workshop session
Part B
Programme management
Plannning and implementing
Flexibility
Human resources
Partnerships and relationships
Advocacy and information dissemination
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
When do you start planning a PS response?
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Preparations for psychosocial response
Training
• Staff
• Volunteers
• Community members
Advocacy
• Organizational (budget)
• Public (Awareness, Sensitization)
• National
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
When does planning a PS response start?
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Who is involved in a psychosocial response?
Who is the most important group of
people in a PS response?
The affected population = community
What is a community?
A group of people who
- Live in an area together or
- Have similar backgrounds,
religious beliefs, jobs, interests etc.
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Community participation
Why is participation of the affected community important for a
psychosocial response?
The affected population know best
• How they have been affected
• Which people or groups are affected in different ways
• How they are coping with the impact of the event now
• What help they need to cope better
• Appropriate social and cultural behaviour
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Community participation
What can the community participate in?
• Assessing needs
• Planning activities, inputs
to drafting proposals
• Implementing activities
• Mobilizing others
• Monitoring and evaluation
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Community participation
Psychosocial benefits
Response
= relevant
= realistic
Affected population take
responsibility for own recovery
Opportunities for capacity
building
• Socially and culturally
appropriate
• Increases community ‘togetherness’ and peer
support
• Increases sense of empowerment and
achievement
•
•
•
•
Participation in data collection and analysis
Training on psychosocial support
Provision of psychosocial support
Referral mechanism
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Volunteers
• RCRC Movement is
volunteer-based
• Volunteers = invaluable
resource
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Volunteers
• May be directly affected
by disaster
• Likely to be emotionally
affected by working with
psychosocial
interventions
• Care and support for
staff and volunteers =
important program
component
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Who is involved in a psychosocial response?
Program staff
Other sectors
same
organization
Volunteers
Affected population
Planning and
implementing
Psychosocial
intervention
Other
organizations/
bodies
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
How do you choose your target group?
In groups of 4 discuss this question for 10 minutes and then
present your findings to plenary
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
How do you choose your target group?
• Coordinate
• Assess vulnerability
• Find the ‘hard to reach’
• Be realistic
• Referrals
• Advocate
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Holistic and integrated approach
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Choosing activities
Initial activities
Assessments + Psychological First Aid
Community mobilization
Involvement in assessments; Identifying vulnerable groups; Mobilizing others
Realistic and meaningful activities
Balance between needs and resources; short term or long term impact; target groups
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Relevant activities change with time
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Examples of activities in a PS response
Preparations
Capacity building
• Disaster
Preparedness
• Assessments
• Coordination (e.g.
basic needs)
• Capacity building
• Initial training in
PFA/Assessments
• PS specific
training
• Program
management
tasks
Psychoeducation
Advocacy
• Development /
distribution of IEC
materials
• Public
performances
(e.g. drama)
• Advocacy local /
national
Program
management
• Assessments
• Community
mobilization /
contact
• Coordination
(internal and
external)
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Examples of psychosocial activities
Emergency: 0-6 months
• Psychological First Aid
• Support groups
• Burial ceremonies
• Grieving rituals
• Distribution of PS
support items
• Family tracing
• Community restoration
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Examples of psychosocial activities
Recovery / development: 3 months to 1-3 yrs
• Children’s / youth clubs
• Formal/informal schooling
• Life skills activities
• Collective memorial
ceremonies
• Livelihood activities
• Disaster preparedness training; Risk reduction
training; Building community resilience
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Examples of psychosocial activities
Conflict situations
• Peer support groups
• Reintegration of child
soldiers
• Tailored workshops with
children and adults
• Education and training in
non-violent conflict resolution
• School-based activities
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Examples of psychosocial activities
Health emergencies
• Home-based care (HIV, OVC)
• Memory Work
• Hero Books
• Coping with losing loved ones
• Will writing
• School-based
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Examples of psychosocial activities
Individual and community recovery / resilience building
Group work:
Make a list of the kinds of activities that will help
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Individuals (all)
Elderly
Children
People living with disabilities
Whole communities
recover from a disaster event, and build resilience in the face
of new disasters (cope better if it happens again)
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Examples of psychosocial activities
Individual and community recovery / resilience building
Important
considerations
• Gender and age
• Religious
affiliation
Men
Disabilities
Elderly
Community
activities
• Child protection
Women
Children
Boys
Girls
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Protecting and working with children
• Increased risks of abuse and violence –
especially if unaccompanied
• Should be empowered with knowledge
to stop and/or report incidences of
abuse
• Special attention on younger children
and Early Childhood Development
• Follow all ethical guidelines on working
with children
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Time for an energizer!!
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Part B: PS Program management
Goals/aims
Activity
outcomes
Activity
outputs
Immediate
objectives
Activity
Inputs
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Logical framework approach
Indicators
Overall Goal
To reduce suffering and risk for
development of severe trauma of
Population A
Adults and children show healthy
signs of coping with impact of
crisis event
Activity 1
Training in PFA
Input
Resources to enable training
Amount of money; personnel;
training manuals; materials
Output
Training has taken place
Number of people trained
Outcome
Volunteers can provide PFA
Skill level in PFA has increased
Activity 2:
Workshops with children
Input
Resources for workshops
Amount of money; personnel;
training manuals; materials
Output
Workshops are held
Number of workshops held;
number of children attended;
number of trainers
Outcome
Children are coping better
Increase in children’s playfulness,
self-confidence, trusting of others
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Psychosocial program management
How is managing a psychosocial program different from
managing any other kind of program?
Consider:
• Changing needs of population during implementation
period
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Budget
expenditure
Changing needs of population during implementation period
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Flexibility
• Changing needs of population during implementation
period (budget, human resources)
• Importance of community participation (budget, timing)
Anticipate fluctuations and adaptations to budgets
and time-planning – avoid PROGRAM LOCKING!!!
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Human Resources
• Training needs – staff and volunteers
• Supervision
• Retention
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Partnerships and relationships
Political and
social safety
Education
Psychosocial
wellbeing
Physical
health
Basic needs
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Partnerships and relationships
Internal
partners
External
partners
Community
• Other sectors within National
Society
• E.g. Food and nutrition, shelter
• Government – local / national
• Other organizations
• Faith-based
• Other NGO’s
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Advocacy and information dissemination
Why do we need to advocate for attention to PS needs and responses?
To motivate development of national policies and guidelines
Quality assurance
To ensure budget allocation in national and organizational budgets
Quality assurance; Assurance of reach
Ultimately ensure provision of psychosocial support and to improve PSWB
PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION
Advocacy and information dissemination
Critical component of advocacy is:
• raising awareness
• sharing information
How do you do this?
Documentation and sharing of information and IEC materials