Under the framework of the new German-funded psychosocial project entitled “Psychosocial Capacity Building for Medical and Social Service Providers in Chad”, IOM in collaboration with Ministries of Public Health and Social Action have organized a two-day workshop entitled “Mental Health, Psychosocial Support and Referral System” in N’Djamena from 12 to 13 November 2013.

The project builds on the impact and gaps from previous psychosocial projects that provided psychosocial support to returnees from Libya in their communities of origin. Project services included: provision of direct psychosocial service, i.e., counseling, support group, buddy systems and recreational activities that were highly appreciated by beneficiaries, national authorities and UN agencies which consequently requested their continuation in the entire country. 

The project aims at:

1. Developing a Referral System among medical and social service providers to ensure access to mental health and psychosocial support services to the entire community with a particular focus on displaced populations, i.e., returnees, refugees and victims of violence.

2. Training and providing support to 50 trainers from the Ministries of Public Health and Social Action to train 400 additional medical and social service providers.

3. Establishing a psychosocial mobile team in Tibesti region to offer psychosocial support to returnees from Libya and their communities of origin.

The workshop objectives are to:

1. Introduce to the participants the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, with a focus on establishing a referral system;
2. Offer the participants a platform for sharing their experience and best practices and discussing challenges;
3. Have an accurate picture on available services and key service providers in this domain;
4. Identify and validate the guiding principles of the referral system to be developed, and
5. Create a Working Committee tasked with developing and piloting the referral system.

By the end of the workshop, a Working Committee composed of six participants from the following institutions was created: Ministries of Public Health (2) and Social Action (2); CNARR (1) and University of N’Djamena (1). The Guiding Principles were adopted and Terms of References for the Working Committee were drafted.

The workshop was opened and closed by the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Public Health, representatives from the Ministry of Social Action, CNARR, and the German Ambassador in Chad and IOM. The event was covered by national television, radio and newspapers.

Contact:

Dr. Qasim Sufi
Chief of Mission, IOM Chad
Tel.: +235 22 52 53 59/60 (Ext. 111)
Mobile: +235 62 90 06 74
Fax: +235 22 52 53 61
Email: qsufi@iom.int

Ms. Pauline Birot
Psychosocial Consultant, IOM Chad
Tel. Office: +235 22 52 53 59/60
Fax: +235 22 52 53 61
Email: pbirot@iom.int