Website information and structure
This website is an online based guide/manual aimed to assist humanitarian practitioners working in emergency zones. It is written for experienced aid workers focusing on psychosocial support, as well as for any kind of staff involved in the provision of humanitarian assistance. It is useful and applicable for both international and local staff. It can serve as a tool for all humanitarian actors on various levels; community-based organisations, NGOs, UN agencies, government authorities and donors. The awareness of psychosocial factors is essential in all types of emergency work. The guide touches upon subjects being relevant to core humanitarian domains, including human rights, protection, general healthcare, education, food security, nutrition, shelter, camp management, community development and IEC (information, education and communication) materials, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). The information provided in this guide is written in a general manner, so it must be adjusted to the actual context and situation. Mainly based on experience gained in low and middle-income countries, the overall framework of the manual also applies to large-scale emergencies in high-income countries. Articles throughout this website are not listed in any particular order.
A summary of the CBPS concept (in English) can be downloaded here!
A summary of the CBPS concept (in French) can be downloaded here!
Find our flyer (in English) here!
This material supports the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s publication on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies, underlining the view of improving mental health and psychosocial well-being in emergencies through coordinated action across multiple sectors, with a diverse range of actors. Another important source of information is also The Mental Health and Psychosocial Network - a global platform connecting people, networks and organisations, for sharing resources within this field.
An overall introduction on Community Based Psychosocial Support can be found under the headline "This is CBPS". The following tab "Subjects" lists and describes the 12 main topics on which the concept of CBPS is based. These subjects are: ‘Codes of Conduct’, ‘Reactions to traumatic events’, ‘Community mobilisation’, ‘Assessment’, ‘Life span perspective’, ‘Working together in another community’, ‘ CBPS across sectors’, ‘Gender’, ‘Conflict’, ‘Staff care’, Spiritual life in emergency’ and ‘Disaster preparedness’.
All articles referring to the various subjects can be viewed according to Practice (if used for programme development or capacity building) Target group (organisational level or affected population) and/or User (Programplaner, Manager, Trainer, Field worker).
A symbolic overview with the form of a tree structure can be viewed here!
Owner
This website was developed by an Editorial Committee comprising of the following founding members: Church of Sweden (CoS), Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA). It is published through the technical facilities of CoS. It is linked through the ACT Alliance website. All material published on the website is owned by the three founding members of the Editorial Committee.
This guide on community based psychosocial support is co-funded by Sida, the Swedish international development cooperation agency.
Copyright
Permission is granted to review, abstract, translate and/or reproduce any portion of this guide for use consistent with this purpose, but not for sale or any use in conjunction with commercial purposes. Please acknowledge this guide as a source if any use is made of it. Report on the use of this material would be very much appreciated. Please send copies of any translations to us so that we may make them available in future emergency situations. (Kindly see contact details here below.)
Illustrator
Illustrations are made by Christina Jonsson, web address: www.illustrationer.nu
Contact information
If you would like further information regarding the concept of CBPS and/or have suggestions and improvements to this website please contact Anna Bergman, Website Editor: psychosocial@actalliance.org