IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial
Support
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The PS Centre
• Established in 1993
• Hosted by the Danish Red Cross
• Current set-up since 2004
• Income from donors and
consultancies
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The PS Centre
Mission:
• “To assist the IFRC Secretariat and
National Societies to develop the
capacity to provide psychosocial
services at the community level in areas
affected by catastrophic events, longterm crises and/or armed conflict”
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The PS Centre
Health and Care
Department
Geneva
Steering
Committee +
Advisory group
Danish Red
Cross
IFRC Reference Centre for
Psychosocial Support
International Consultants
(Roster)
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Community-based
Psychosocial Support
• To assist affected people to attain stable
life and integrated functioning, to restore
hope, dignity, mental and social wellbeing and a sense of normality.
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Immediate reactions
Emotional
suffering
• Shock
• Bereavement
• Grief
• Anxiety
• Anger
• Confusion
• Desperation
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Community-based Psychosocial Support
• Disasters are
characterized by
loss of:
• personal relations
and material goods
• an income
• social cohesion
• dignity, trust and
safety, a positive
self-image
• trust in the future
• Creates negative
spiral
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Community Based
• We work with National Red Cross/Red
Crescent Societies
• With Headquarters and local branches
• With volunteers, local staff and
international delegates
• Programmes are designed in collaboration
with local stakeholders such as
beneficiaries, community leaders, social
workers and teachers
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Principles of Community-based
Psychosocial Support
• Facilitating resilience within
individuals, families and communities
• Respecting independence, dignity
and coping mechanisms
• Promoting the restoration of social
cohesion and infrastructure
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Community-based
Psychosocial Support
• Reduces long-term negative
psychological effects
• Improves a person’s immediate
ability to function under stress
• Supports existing coping strategies
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When is support needed
Psychology Psychiatry
Specialised mental health and
psychosocial services
Focused mental health & psychosocial
support
Community and family
support
Protective
environment
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Responding to acute needs
PSP meet
immediate
emotional needs
of disaster
affected
populations by
Accepting acute
physical and
emotional reactions
to shock
Providing immediate
support to alleviate longterm consequences
Re-creating
reciprocity and
trust between
people
Re-establishing
coherence and
belief in the future
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How needs are met
PSP services in the early post-emergency
stage aim at
Making opportunities for
expressing grief
Normalising
daily life
Re-establishing
relationships
Enhance psychosocial
well-being
Providing
medical care &
psychological FA
Ensuring access
to information
Meeting survival and
Protection needs
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Overview of E-PSP cycle of events
Needs Assessment
Local priorities and
definitions of PS well-being
Traumatic
event
Something
happens
Identificatio
n
Completion
Quick baseline
E.g. relief
distributions
Evaluation
Implementation
Formulatio
n
On-going monitoring,
FGDs,
Reporting
Development of
baseline,
indicators,
Logframe, M&E
procedures
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How to develop indicators?
• Indicators for psychosocial
programmes are developed on the
basis of the emotional responses
observed during the assessment
• Since PSP aim at bringing about
qualitative change, we need to go
beyond numbers
• Never easy to quantify ‘soft’ issues
and attach numbers to that which is
better described
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Psychosocial indicators
• Beneficiaries have returned to school and
work
 Normal daily routines have been resumed
 Children are active in play and educational
activities
 Religious and cultural ceremonies have been
resumed
 Incidents of violence have decreased
 Communities are coping with the changed life
situation and future challenges
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Examples of
Psychosocial Support
• Tool for families
to talk openly
about the future
and the
consequences of
living with
HIV/AIDS
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Examples of
Psychosocial Support
School-based programme in the West Bank
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Examples of
Psychosocial Support
• Coffe shop in
Aceh
• Improvised
community
centre
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Examples of
Psychosocial Support
• After the earthquake in Bam, Iran
• Combination of Counselling and
Recreational/Learning Activities
Activities.
Counselling
and therapy
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Functions of the PS Centre
Capacity
building in
National
Societies
Documentation
& Dissemination
Operational
Assistance to
International
Programmes
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Functions of the PS Centre
• Capacity building
• Training of trainers
• Support to regional networks
• Stress management and staff support
• Development of emergency PSP concept
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Functions of the PS Centre
Operational Assistance
• Assessment, monitoring, evaluation,
ex:
• Assessment
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Mid-term reviews
• Baseline
• Indicators
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Functions of the PS Centre
• Documentation and dissemination
• Training material
• Information sharing
• Advocate the relevance of PSP
• Participation in international networks,
eg. IASC
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Functions of the PS Centre
• Document database on the web
• Mapping of international PSP
• Coping with Crisis
• http://psp.drk.dk
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Our services
• Advise
• How do we get started?
• How do we integrate PSP in existing
activities
• Link with potential partners or networks
• Consultancies
• Assessments, evaluations etc.
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Our services
• Training
• Community-based PSP (ToT)
• Stress management
• Documentation and information
• PSP related documents
• Information sharing
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Contact us!
• http://psp.drk.dk
• psp-referencecentre@drk.dk
• naw@drk.dk
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