58 psychologists of Ministry for Emergency Situations completed training on psycho-social support to population during emergencies
UNICEF and Center for Emergencies and Disaster Risk Reduction train psychologists of Ministry for Emergency Situations to support people affected by emergencies, including those with psycho-neurological disorders
NUR-SULTAN, November 23-26, 2021 – UNICEF, in partnership with the Center for Emergencies and Disaster Risk Reduction, organized a four-day training for 58 psychologists from the Ministry for Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MES) as part of their joint Work Plan. During the training, psychologists practiced how to support population in emergencies with a special attention to the needs of people with psycho-neurological disorders.
The training was based on the Guidance for Mental Health Care during Emergency Situations for non-specialized medical institutions in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The guidance was developed as part of UNICEF partnership with the Center for Emergencies and Disaster Risk Reduction, National Coordination Center for Emergency Medicine and Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Mental Health. The guidance is an adapted version of the WHO Global Mental Health Gap Action Program (mhGAP) on humanitarian assistance. It was developed
this year taking into account the Kazakhstani context and approved for application in trainings by the Ministry of Healthcare and MES.
During the training trainers from the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Mental Health and National Coordination Center for Emergency Medicine explained in detail the main objectives of the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme. Training participants studied the operating procedures for psychologists in dealing with developmental disorders and disorders such as acute stress disorder, grief, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, suicide, epilepsy, and others. Particular attention was paid to practical exercises in which participants looked at relevant situations and offered their solutions taking into account the knowledge gained.
"Mental health care and psycho-social counselling for children and adults is very important, especially for those in stressful and emergency situations. UNICEF provides technical and expert support to Kazakhstan in this area with a focus on the right of children to a clean and safe environment. This training plays an important role in enhancing the capacity of psychologists of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan. We hope that it will serve as a basis for the provision of comprehensive psycho-social counselling to populations affected by emergencies," Anna Stativkina, UNICEF Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Officer, said.
The training for MES psychologists is the part of UNICEF program aimed at protecting children in emergency situations. UNICEF, in cooperation with MES and Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan, has integrated elements of emergency preparedness into the national
educational system to teach children how to behave before, during and after disasters under this program. The structural safety of schools was also assessed and a disaster risk analysis methodology focusing on the children’s needs was introduced.
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