Learning from earthquake relief and recovery operations
DM for Care
In northeastern Nigeria—“Boko Haram’s den”—at least 3 in 10 people suffer from untreated mental illness. Despite high suicide rates and risks of radicalization, care is reserved for treating substance use or disorders like schizophrenia.
Nonprofits like NEEM Foundation a...nd Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative are working to provide mental health first aid via Twitter and Whatsapp. NEEM also helps reintegrate former Boko Haram fighters, and MANI runs a suicide hotline and advocates for decriminalizing suicide attempts.
“Our counselors are volunteer psychiatrists and medical officers that are, a lot of times, the thin line between life and death,” says MANI’s Rasheedat Olarinoye.
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When terrible things happen in our communities, countries and the world, we want to reach out a helping hand to those who are affected. This guide covers
psychological first aid which involves humane, supportive and practical help to fellow human beings suffering serious crisis events. It is writt...en for people in a position to help others who have experienced an extremely distressing event. It gives a framework for supporting people in ways that respect their dignity, culture and abilities. Despite its name, psychological first aid covers both social and psychological support.
Available in various languages: http://www.who.int/mental_health/publications/guide_field_workers/en/
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Resource Kit for Field workers
The Participation Handbook for humanitarian field workers contains detailed practical advice on the participation of affected people in humanitarian action. It has three sections:
Developing a participatory approach (main issues, key factors, building mutual respect, communication methods and... advice on reviewing your approach);
Implementing your participatory approach at every stage of the project cycle (initial assessment, project design, implementation, monitoring and final evaluation);
A list of tools and additional resources (books, internet sites, etc.)
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Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak Response Plan in West Africa July to December 2014 Annex 4