Workshop on Psychosocial Assistance to Refugees

Pyramida Hotel, Prague, June 3-4, 2004



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A limited number of funded places on this seminar are available to NGOs

and practitioners in CEE/NIS countries. Funding will cover the participants'

travel and accommodation costs.

Please contact [log in to unmask] for further detail

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The workshop provides a critical analysis of contemporary psychological

approaches following armed conflict and forced migration. In addition it

explores the concept of trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and

questions whether this is the most helpful framework for understanding the

consequences of displacement. The workshop will also examine contemporary

psychosocial assistance in humanitarian work in both Western and non-Western

settings. This training seminar aims to facilitate the training of

humanitarian assistance workers in response to the psychosocial needs of 

refugees.



The seminar targets the development of critical competences in the planning,

implementation, and evaluation of psychosocial programmes. Specifically, on

completion of the course, the aim is that participants:



§ Will demonstrate awareness of the nature of the threat to personal and

social well-being posed by conflict and forced migration

§ Will be capable of conceptualising psychosocial needs - and

interventions - with respect to relevant psychiatric, psychological, social, 

and cultural frameworks

§ Will identify the roles of culture and identify in shaping the experience

of conflict and forced migration.

§ Will be familiar with a variety of examples of psychosocial intervention

with war-affected and forced migrant populations.

§ Will demonstrate the capacity for critical appraisal of psychosocial

programmes with respect to both goals and methods.

§ Will be capable of planning a psychosocial intervention sensitive to local

circumstance.

§ Will be able to defend any planned intervention with respect to

established principles of good practice.

§ Will demonstrate awareness of principles for the effective evaluation of

psychosocial programmes.



Specific themes which will be addressed in the training and/or discussion

sessions will include:



§ The Nature of Conflict and the Implications for Appropriate Psychosocial

Responses

§ Gender and Forced Migration

§ Understanding the Psychosocial Needs of Children and Adolescents

§ Non-Western Concepts of Mental Health



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Tentative Agenda*



*This agenda is indicative of the ideas to be canvassed during the workshop.

It will be finalised closer to the event and likely revised during the 

workshop in response to the engagement of participants with the processes and 

content of the workshop.



Thursday, 3 June



Session 1 Coffee and personal introductions

Session 2 Introductory Lecture:  Overview of the Field of Psychosocial

Assistance.

Session 3 Research into Issues concerning Psychosocial Assistance

(with reference to Palestine, Uganda, Afghanistan and Urban Refugee

settings)

Session 4 A Critique of Psychosocial Assistance



Friday, 4 June



Session 1 Lecture: Issues with Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and

refugees

Session 2 Psychosocial programmes-what is being done. Video - "Behind Closed

Eyes":

Session 3 "The influence of new mental health paradigms on programs for

children at risk"

Session 4 A Conceptual Framework for Psychosocial Programming



The structure of this two-day workshop will include lectures, reading time

and group discussions and participants will be required to attend full-time.

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Please contact [log in to unmask] for further information, and an application

form



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