TRAINING, SUPPORT & FOLLOW UP

Transcription

1 TRAINING, SUPPORT & FOLLOW UP FOR HUMANITARIAN FIELD STAFF Model and processes WHITE PAPER 2014

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3 The CPH is dedicated to improving the professionalism of humanitarian staff in their mental and psychosocial health interventions through better information, training and support

4 WHITE PAPER CONTENTS 5 Humanitarian stress 7 International best practices 9 The basic needs of field personnel 11 Before a mission 13 During a mission 15 After a mission 17 Conclusion 19 Profile of the Centre for Humanitarian Psychology AUTHOR: DESIGN: Claire Colliard, CPH Executive Director Nathalie Carminati 4

5 HUMANITARIAN STRESS Tens of thousands of people employed by NGOs, international agencies and charities give a portion of their lives to others for years, in sometimes unbearable living conditions. The nature of humanitarian field work, whether in emergencies, rehabilitation or development, goes together with a set of specific stress factors, which are well defined and recognized today: ever increasingly complex work environments requiring recruitment of experienced professionals, more or less quick recovery from culture shocks, work overload with long work days, little privacy, insecurity, many more critical incidents than a few years ago, harsh climates, separation from family... Analysing Psychosocial Risks Evaluating Stress Levels Analysing Aid Workers Psychosocial Needs The amount of stress experienced involves increased risk of injury and burnout, which can sometimes change the whole course of a life. However, aid workers will not necessarily go to those extremes. The issue is rather, for employees and employers alike, to make sure that the accumulated daily stress does not end up in a burnout. A good analysis of psycho-social risks may consolidate an efficient protection of field staff. daily stress does not end up in a burnout. A good analysis of psycho-social risks may consolidate an efficient protection of field staff. social risks may consolidate an efficient protection of field staff. 5

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7 INTERNATIONAL BEST PRATICES Support and appropriate management of their staff are, for any organization, a critical success factor if they want to carry out their mission. Several studies and inter-agency consultations made since the 90s have shown that good management of psychosocial risks in the field requires not only the recruitment of emotionally mature staff with strong life skills, but also the commitment of the organization to meet and support its staff. In the wake of these studies, a joint effort was made internationally to develop and disseminate good practices in the area of staff care and wellbeing, which are constantly being updated. Some of these principles are now part of the «corporate culture» of a growing number of humanitarian INGOs. 1 2 This includes better defined human resource policies, aiming at more efficiency and transparency, while integrating them into strategic and operational plans; better staff management, which ensures quality support and leadership in field life; recruitment and selection of a competent workforce, and professionalism in the implementation of programs; coherent plans in training and staff development; and 3 finally health and safety for all employees, which constitutes a major responsibility of any humanitarian organization. All these elements belong now to a set of best practices that are internationally recognized. 1 Antares Foundation - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention People In Aid Save the Children CARE, amongst others. The CHP was part of this international effort towards staff care best practices. 2 Code of Good Practice in the management and support of aid personnel WHO s definition of health: Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. 7

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9 BASIC NEEDS OF FIELD PERSONNEL For field personnel to avoid extreme stress and reaching breaking point, humanitarian organizations must put in place a framework to meet the psychosocial needs of their employees. Numerous scientific studies have now determined the basic needs which must be satisfied for human beings in general not to lose their mental and physical balance. Physical Needs Security & Safety Needs Need for Recognition Need for Self-fulfilment Need for Meaning The needs of staff working in contexts of wars and natural disasters are even more pressing: basic physical needs in order to maintain a minimum physiological balance, the need for security and safety, as well as physical and emotional protection, the need to exercise one s competencies to achieve high quality work, the need for recognition from the organization and colleagues, and finally the need to do a job that makes sense. Satisfying these needs, understanding and making sure that field staff can live in a protected rather than an exposed environment, is any organization s or major task. 9

10 This is mainly the responsibility of both the Human Resource and Operations department. However, such a resiliency based framework cannot exist without the support and validation of the decision makers within the organization. In a field staff management program, they engage the values and ethics of the organization. From its vision and mission, it draws a policy derived from international best practices in this domain. Then, a human resource strategy, in line with operational and security needs, can be built and operate efficiently. 10

11 BEFORE A MISSION Coherent and effective action, which will reduce stress and traumatic experiences, requires an initial knowledge on humanitarian stress and trauma, as well as a thorough understanding of the context and challenges for the overall health of field staff. Training Staff in Stress & Security Management RH Department: Recruiting Resilient Field Staff Training Field Managers in: - Evaluating & Managing Team Stress - Team Support in Times of Crisis The organization is responsible for making the future staff aware of all the technical aspects of its mission, but also to give him/her a proper preparation and training on stress management in a hostile environment, especially if the mission unfolds in a country at risk. This preparation should be connected and integrated into the safety rules and policy with which the staff must comply. There is no separation between the stark realities of security and safety, and how it may be experienced: emotional reactions must be taken into account as much as potential physical injuries. 11

12 In addition, field managers as well as desk officers will also undertake advanced training in order, if necessary, to better manage the team in crisis. A healthy and well-managed team is the guarantee not only of the success of the mission, but also of the psychosocial health of each member. The role of human resources in this preparation is of paramount importance. This means that HR managers should also be trained to assess the mental health of people they recruit and, in particular, evaluate the degree of balance and resistance to stress in emergencies. More specifically, the recruitment methods should include an exploration of the person s psychosocial competencies and life skills to be able to face the requirement of the mission. 12

13 DURING A MISSION Throughout the mission, the humanitarian relief worker must rely on the support of his or her organization, not only in the performance of the daily work, but also in the recognition of potential emotional difficulties of the mission. This is done through the establishment of a protocol facilitating an ongoing, light monitoring of field staff well being, along the same line as mission preparation and pre-deployment training on stress management. Security Impact Follow up Team Wellbeing Follow-up Critical Incident Management: Activation of Crisis Cell This is the role of the Human Resources Department, working hand in hand with the OPs, to ensure such monitoring is congruent with the security protocols, especially on high-risk missions. This approach will protect the staff by reducing the risk of cumulative stress and burnout, and it should also limit the risk of escalation towards a trauma syndrome. 13

14 In the case of a critical incident, the field officers will immediately have the connections to the regional manager and/or HQ, which will enable them to respond quickly and efficiently to the emergency situation. They have been trained in preventative methods to identify people in need of support and how to take charge, and also to manage teams with the necessary leadership in order to maintain their cohesion and productivity. This monitoring and support system, from HQ down to the field, based on a coherent and professional approach, will limit the psychosocial risks in both difficult and less difficult humanitarian work contexts. It should also guarantee that both international and national staff will quickly find the necessary balance to return to work without too much damage to health. 14

15 AFTER A MISSION Finishing one s mission and returning home after such powerful experiences can raise understandable concerns and reactions, sometimes called «reverse culture shock.» Stress does not disappear as if by magic. Referral to an outside professional Activation of Disability Procedure RETURN FROM MISSION Psychological Debriefing Stress & Level of Trauma Assessment Return Home Management Planning The organization has a moral responsibility and a duty then to follow up with the staff member till the end of the cycle. And in the case of a bad field experience, with possible lingering traumatic impact on the person s long term health, the organization is responsible for helping this person, at least for some time, with supportive procedures. At the end of any mission, just as with technical debriefings on the program, the employee is entitled to an objective psychological debriefing, regardless of whether the mission was successful or not. This will be done by a Human resources Officer, or better yet, by a professional outside the organization who knows what field life may look like and what kind of stress can be expected. This procedure is essential in cases where the person must leave the field for another mission quite soon thereafter. 15

16 During the debriefing session, an assessment will be made to evaluate the stress level the person may have reached, and shared of course. If the staff has any criticism to make towards the program or the managers, the organization should accept them in order to benefit and better understand what is actually happening on the ground. In the event that a person has suffered from an accident or a security incident and has to be evacuated back to HQ, the organization must provide a special kind of monitoring, with an overall medical checkup, including a mental health evaluation, and a few sessions of psychological support to engage the person on the road to recovery. Generally speaking though, at the end of a psychological debriefing, the HR interviewer may help the staff to define a personal short term plan, which may allow the person to better control the course of life events. If there are more or less permanent disabilities, the organization must be able to provide a clear policy from the outset. 16

17 CONCLUSION It is both for ethical and pragmatic reasons that humanitarian organizations should have an in-house staff welfare program. On the basis of its policy and HR strategy, in line with its values and mission, all agencies should have a minimal framework to address the needs of field staff before, during and after a mission, to help fight extreme levels of stress and potential trauma, especially in difficult postings. Responsibility to manage stress in times of crisis is a matter to be determined both by the aid worker and the agency, in a collaborative synergy. The challenge is the professionalization of staff, the success of the programs, but more importantly, the beneficiaries satisfaction and quality of aid. Since 2000, the Centre for Humanitarian Psychology has offered coaching to humanitarian organizations to create and develop in-house Staff Care Programs to support aid workers in difficult environments. The model, briefly described here, can be tailored to the mission, goals and staff policy of the agency. This service may include, among other building blocks, an initial review of current practices, a pre-deployment course on stress management and personal emergency preparedness, tailored training programs for HRs and team leaders in the field and individual online monitoring. 17

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19 The CPH is An apolitical and non-denominational Swiss-based INGO with its Headquarters in Geneva. Since 1998 it has been operational in the international humanitarian arena, helping to overcome the psychosocial distress of populations affected by humanitarian crises. Whose mission is to... Help improve the professionalism of humanitarian staff in their mental and psychosocial health interventions through better information, training and support. With the aim of... Offering its expertise in mental and psychosocial health to humanitarian organizations through: - Capacity building for international and local organisations - Support services for aid personnel working under extreme conditions, for agencies personnel and individual relief workers - worldwide and online; - A community of practice platform facilitating networks of professionals who share common problems, common interests or common knowledge, and communicate around their fields of knowledge. With the specialized services... An Online Campus, with professional and vocational training programs, live and online, in both areas of humanitarian Staff Care and Mental and Psychosocial Health programs in Emergencies. A team of e-learning engineers and designers who can create customized online courses for humanitarian organizations who want to get into distance learning; An online Resource Library on humanitarian mental and psychosocial health with over 1000 documents; A Hotline and an online counseling service. Centre for Humanitarian Psychology (CHP) Geneva, Switzerland Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. This White Paper is the property of the Centre for Humanitarian Psychology and protected by copyright under international law. This material may not be copied or reproduced in any manner whatsoever - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the organization. 19

20 Centre For Humanitarian Psychology 15, rue des Savoises 1205 Genève Suisse cph 2014