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Table 5 Steps for community based psychosocial work

From: Collective trauma in northern Sri Lanka: a qualitative psychosocial-ecological study

Step

Title

Description

1

Village assessment

information from GA, DS, GS, psychiatrists, counsellors, psychiatric social workers, health workers, psychosocial workers and the representatives of the organisations from that region (statistical data)

2

Selection of the villages

Based on Poverty, Affected by war (death, injured, missing), Displacement, Resettlement, Socioeconomic problems, Domestic violence, Alcohol and drug abuse, Natural Disasters (e.g. Tsunami), Child abuse

3

Obtaining permission

Permission will be obtained from the government authorities to work in the selected villages. E.g. Divisional Secretariat, Grama Sevaka Officers

4

Integration with people

introduction to Villages about the worker, organisation and intention of the activities

5

Meeting with resources

discuss with the most important resources from the village to get their whole support

6

Cross walk

Looking around all the nook and corners of the village

7

Learning about the society

Getting to know the language, culture, traditions, rituals and occupations with the help of the important resources who are living in that area

8

Data collection & documentation

Basic Demographic data about the village

9

Social Mapping

Ecosystem of society, places where collective trauma occurred, the house of the community leader, temples, CBO's, Traditional leaders

10

Identifying and analysing the problems

Through Key informant interviews, Focus group interviews

11

Planning

Based on the abovementioned identified problems and their priorities

12

Community meetings and creating awareness

First with the key resources, then for the whole community, explain about plans, benefits, psychosocial wellbeing, prioritised problems of the community. E.g. Alcohol awareness, awareness of child abuse, domestic violence etc.

13

Selection of the Core Group (CG)

A local group which is made up of teachers, university students, farmers, villagers and contains 15 – 20 people with gender balance

14

Core Group training

Focused on psychosocial well being and psychosocial problems in the village level, referral and networking.

15

Working with Core Group

Trainer works with CG in Social mobilization, community awareness, children group activities, Identification of psychosocial problems in the community, psychosocial interventions for individuals, families and community, facilitate women groups, following up the past cases, doing referral and network for new cases etc.

16

Psychosocial Interventions

See Table 6

17

Core Group follow up

After handing over the village to the Core Group, they will continue work in village. Supervision and further training in particular.

18

Referral

Problems which the CG is unable to handle would be referred to mental health professionals

19

Networking

Working with GO's and NGO's for socio-economic and other needs

20

Monitoring and evaluation

Feedback into modify Planning stage and programme implementation. Design of new programmes.

  1. -Vijayashankar, PSW Trainer, Shantiaham