Psychosocial interventions – Training manual

Psychosocial intervention has become a valued dimension of immediate and long-term disaster response all over the world. Psychological recovery is recognised as a focus for relief and rehabilitation efforts, along with repairing homes and rebuilding bridges. There is a need to train people in dealing with the general population who are struggling to cope with loss, disruption, and tragedy. Thus, this training workshop module is intended as a guide to train people in how to respond to the psychosocial effects of disasters. The module aims to help psycho-social programme administrators and trainers to give training to their staff in understanding how disasters affect children and adults, how people cope with the emotional effects of disasters and how one can facilitate community’s natural recovery process. It is intended for use by a master trainer who can further train teachers, social workers, NGO staff, mentors, community health providers disaster relief workers, community leaders, and governmental and organisational officials concerned with responses to disasters and even by mental health workers e.g., psychiatrists, psychologists, and other counselors. The module does not address intensive treatment of established post traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other long term emotional consequences of disasters, which requires more extensive training and/or long term organization of mental health services.