COURSE 1: Practical Implementation of Family and Community Directed Psychosocial and Mental Health Initiatives in Developing Countries Affected by War, Violence and Natural Disasters.

October 28 - November 18, 2007 / 130 hours of classroom and field study in rural African setting

This course is designed for international participants to learn HOW family and community based initiatives can be implemented to assist with psychosocial and mental health problems in developing countries affected by war, violence and natural disasters. It is intended for participants either presently working in related settings or for those with a keen interest to begin. Participants should have prior training and/or experience in psychosocial work and/or education in psychology, social work, peace building or related fields.

The course will be taught in classroom and field based settings using a participatory style in which participants will be actively involved in HOW TO practically implement their learning.

Classroom learning will focus on:

• History of psychosocial and mental health work in the developing world.
• Review of international research about the psychosocial and mental health consequences of war, violence and natural disasters in the developing world.
• Merging psychosocial initiatives to human rights violations.
• Implications for working within the culture, context and capacities of affected populations.
• Skills for community based assessment.
• Introduction to strategic planning and HOW TO design interventions which promote “natural” family, community and societal methods of self-help.
• Practical implications of levels of intervention ie: choosing interventions, which interventions to use with which populations and why and working with change over time.
• Facilitating “outsourced” interventions that lead to sustainable resources.
• Examining the role of “helpers” imported from outside of an affected population.
• Exploring the results of intervention models for prevention (i.e.: community education) and treatment
(i.e.: building capacities of community support structures and adult, child, family, group and community focused psychosocial support, problem solving and “counseling”).
• Review of program evaluation models.
• Installing care for caregivers.

Field based learning will include:

• Participation in the completion of a field based SNAPSHOT assessment to determine the problems, needs and resources of a violence affected rural African community.
• Meeting with local African traditional healers / healing churches to compare helping modalities.
• Field visits to observe community education workshops, accompany community based psychosocial support workers in their daily work and/or visit child focused intervention programs.

TRAINERS

The courses will be co-taught by:

Dr. Nancy Baron, ITSP International Training Director and the Director of Global Psycho-Social Initiatives (GPSI). Nancy works with UN organizations, governments, and international and local NGOs providing consultation, assessment, research, training, program design and evaluation for psycho-social, mental health and peace building programming in conflict and post-conflict countries. Since 1989, she has lived and worked in Africa in Burundi, Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan and Uganda; Asia in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan and Sri Lanka; Eastern Europe in Albania and Kosovo and in the South Pacific on the Solomon Islands. Her resume and publications can be viewed on www.littleelephant.org.

Mr. Francis Alumai, Senior Trainer with the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) of Uganda.

Ms. Rose Mogga, Senior Trainer with the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) of Uganda.
Additional guest speakers from the East African region.


TRAINING SITE

The training site will be the TPO Uganda Resource Center, a newly built complex of buildings, located 3 miles from the center of Arua, a town in the north of Uganda. Trainees will be housed in comfortable dormitories with modern amenities including individual rooms with shared bathing and toilet facilities. This peaceful rural site is surrounded by local people living in traditional mud and thatch homes. The town and rural area are safe and secure!


CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Participants completing the courses will receive a Certificate of Completion from the International Trauma Studies Program.
Participants enrolled in formal education programs can also request credit for attending these training courses.


TUITION AND LODGING FOR THREE-WEEK COURSE: $2800


APPLICATION:
Final Deadline for October 2007 training: September 30, 2007.
Click here to download application [word] 

INQUIRIES:

Dr. Nancy Baron
Director of International Training
International Trauma Studies Program
155 Avenue of the Americas 4th Floor
New York, NY 10013

drnancy@swiftkenya.com
info@itsynyc.org
www.itspnyc.org


FUTURE COURSES:

Course 2, Training of Trainers (TOT), will be offered in 2008. Please email the director of international training your interest, and check back periodically for updates.

PAST COURSES:

COURSE 2: Training of Trainers (TOT) for Psychosocial and Mental Health Initiatives in Countries Affected by War, Violence and Natural Disasters

February 5 – 25, 2007 / 130 hours

This course is designed to TRAIN TRAINERS practical participatory training methods for HOW TO train individuals and teams implementing psychosocial and mental health initiatives in countries affected by war, violence and natural disasters. Participants should have prior experience in work with psychosocial and/or mental health issues, training and/or education in psychology, social work, psychiatry, peace building or related fields.

The course will be taught in classroom and field based settings using a participatory style in which participants will be actively involved in HOW TO practically implement their learning.

Classroom learning will include:

Overview of psychosocial and mental health programming:
• History of psychosocial and mental health work in the developing world.
• Review of international research about the psychosocial and mental health consequences of war, violence and
natural disasters in the developing world.
• Merging psychosocial initiatives to human rights violations.
• Review of the impact of the range of theoretical frameworks presently utilized internationally in psychosocial and mental health initiatives.
• Implications for working within the culture, context and capacities of affected populations.
• Review of possible models of assessment leading to intervention strategies.

Development of participatory training skills through classroom practice including:
• Assessment of a training group.
• Development of curriculum targeting special learning needs of each training group.
• Participatory presentation or lecture skills.
• Techniques for facilitating classroom discussions.
• Experiential training techniques including use of role play, drama, media, posters, music, story telling, etc.

Personal growth and development:
• Building confidence as a trainer.
• Finding “your voice” and style as a trainer.
• Methods of self-care.

Field based learning will allow participants to practice their training skills through:
• Facilitation with training group of community education workshops in rural African setting.

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