Basic psychosocial support skills are at the core of any MHPSS intervention. All relief providers involved in the COVID-19 response should be equipped with basic psychosocial support skills, whether they identify as an MHPSS provider or not. This illustrated guide, developed by the IASC Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Reference Group (MHPSS RG), aims at building basic psychosocial skills among all essential workers responding to COVID-19.
This book was a project developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (IASC MHPSS RG). The project was supported by global, regional and country based experts from Member Agencies of the IASC MHPSS RG, in addition to parents, caregivers, teachers and children in 104 countries. A global survey was distributed in Arabic, English, Italian, French and Spanish to assess children’s mental health and psychosocial needs during the COVID-19 outbreak.
This document has been endorsed as an IASC document. It is now available in several languages under the following name/link Interim Briefing Note Addressing Mental Health and Psychosocial Aspects of COVID-19 Outbreak (developed by the IASC’s Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support).
This report outlines the status of, and progress towards, the concrete deliverables under the priority areas of work for the MHPSS Reference Group for 2019.
Composition of the Reference Group:There are 53 full MHPSS Reference Group (RG) members, 9 observers plus 7 donor organizations. Five members are classified as ‘networks’ (MHPSS.net, InterAction, INEE, ACT Alliance and ICVA), with 7 UN agencies (UN Migration Agency/ IOM, UNHCR, WHO, UNICEF, UNRWA, UNFPA and OCHA). The International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies’ Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support (IFRC PS Centre) is a member, alongside more than 30 international NGOs.
This guidance has been developed to provide practical support to those involved in planning humanitarian programming who seek to be more sensitive to the faith perspectives and resources of the communities within which they are working. It focuses particularly on the programming area of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), but in a manner that seeks to provide pointers for more faithsensitive humanitarian programming overall.
This document provides guidance in the assessment, research, design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programmes in emergency settings. Although designed specifically for emergency contexts (including protracted crises), the framework may also be applicable for the transition phases from emergency to development (including disaster risk reduction initiatives).
A referral is the process of directing a client to another service provider because s/he requires help that is beyond the expertise or scope of work of the current service provider. A referral can be made to a variety of services, for example health, psychosocial activities, protection services, nutrition, education, shelter, material or financial assistance, physical rehabilitation, community centre and/ or a social service agency.
