Psychological Support Programmes in the Caribbean: since 2004
 
In September 2004 the Jamaica Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Unit (JRC DMHU), formed in 2001, received funding from the IFRC to assist sister societies in the Caribbean to implement targeted PSP interventions in response to Hurricane Dean – one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit the region in years.

Over a four week period the JRC DMHU sent teams to Grenada and the Cayman Islands and finally to their own country to carry out psychosocial support activities for staff and volunteers from the NS and for the affected communities.

The experience was very new for a number on National Societies but the feedback was universally positive. This was reinforced in January – March 2005 when Guyana suffered its worst flooding for decades and again the JRC DMHU were requested to intervene.

Within a relatively short period of six months PSP activities had been carried out in four Caribbean Red Cross entities and suddenly from being a relatively unknown entity Psychosocial Support Programmes were recognized as a fundamental part of Caribbean RC response to the annual Hurricane Season – and within other disasters that the region is prone to.
 
In Central America and South America National Societies also had a PSP competency but there was a lack of shared methodologies making standardisation in terms of material and training very difficult.
 
Formation of “Helping to Heal”
 
In 2006, with some funding from the UK Department for International Development (DfID) the IFRC through its Panama Regional Delegation and out Port of Spain Sub-Regional Office contracted Samora Bain a member of the JRC DMHU to conduct a consultancy with the goal of developing a Caribbean PSP Toolkit which would enable to mainstream PSP throughout the region meaning other NS would have the capacity to respond to their own PSP needs – and assist neighbours in times of crises.
 
Over a six month consultancy period a complete PSP “toolkit” including a Para-Professionals Manual, A Volunteers Handbook, four brochures and two posters based on IFRC material from the IFRC Reference Centre for Psychological Support in Copenhagen was designed but with a distinctly local Caribbean “flavour”. The methodology was entitled “Helping to Heal” after a long process to find an expression that would reflect the holistic nature of the material.
 
 
Field Testing of “Helping to Heal”
 
In 2007 the “Helping to Heal” package was field tested with 21 staff members and volunteers from the Jamaican RC; 16 staff and volunteers from the Grenada RC and 27 staff and volunteers from the Belize RC.

These focus groups also consisted of professionals from academia (mainly local universities and educational institutions) and from other mental health organizations. Overall the responses were positive and all participants looked forward to the final publishing and distribution of the material.
 
 
Translation, Printing and Training in “Helping to Heal”
 
The 2007 Hurricane Season brought further need for PSP services with a number of countries affected and infrastructure damaged. We have now begun printing the “Helping to Heal” material and we will carry out specific training sessions in a Trainer of Trainers format in four National Societies affected by Hurricane Dean in 2007 (Dominica, St. Lucia, Jamaica and Belize).

We have also begun to translate the material into Spanish and French (for Haiti) meaning that for the 2008 Hurricane Season we will have, for the very first time, a common PSP methodology for the Caribbean and a cohort of trained personnel spread throughout the region – ready to respond in time of need.

We have also in the process formed and in some cases strengthened alliances with other agencies and academia working in the area of psychosocial health.
 
 
Helping to Heal in Central America and Haiti
 
We are currently looking for finance to allow us to carry out field testing and training of “Helping to Heal” in interested National Societies in Central America as well as in Haiti.