Operational Guidelines Introduction to the Operational Guidelines Operational Guidelines on Community based mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings: Three-tiered support for children and families An orientation to the field test version

Objectives for this Module To Understand: Why new guidelines have been developed What these guidelines are (and what they aren’t) What the process for development looked like Who is the intended audience How the guidelines structured How to access the guidelines and associated material What is included in the rest of the orientation package Objectives for this Module

A Few Initial Questions to Consider…

Based on your experience, what are the key challenges facing children in humanitarian settings around the world? …and how have those challenges changed and shifted over the past few decades?

What lessons have you learned in your own work about the best ways to promote wellbeing and resilience among children in crisis settings?

Wellbeing…describes the positive state of being when a person thrives Wellbeing…describes the positive state of being when a person thrives. In mental health and psychosocial work, wellbeing is commonly understood in terms of three domains: Personal wellbeing – positive thoughts and emotions such as hopefulness, calm, self-esteem and self-confidence Interpersonal wellbeing – nurturing relationships, a sense of belonging, the ability to be close to others Skills and knowledge – capacities to learn, make positive decisions, effectively respond to life challenges and express oneself UNICEF, Inter-Agency Guide to the Evaluation of Psychosocial Programming in Emergencies, United Nations Children’s Fund, New York, 2011.

Resilience…is the ability to overcome adversity and positively adapt after challenging or difficult experiences. Children’s resilience relates not only to their innate strengths and coping capacities, but also to the pattern of risk and protective factors in their social and cultural environments Dr. Michael Ungar, in Hague Symposium Report, 2015

Why develop new guidelines?

3 Reasons the unique challenges that today’s crises pose for children’s safety, well-being  and optimal development 1 emerging evidence on the determinants of children’s resilience 2 lessons learned from the evaluation of existing approaches 3

unprecedented levels of displacement The unique challenges that today’s crises pose for children’s safety, well-being and optimal development poverty terrorism climate change unprecedented levels of displacement natural disasters and more…

emerging evidence on the determinants of children’s resilience Personal Factors personality, genetic makeup, presence or absence of disabilities Social Factors relationships with families, teachers, friends Environmental Factors access to essential services safety sense of belonging

lessons learned from the evaluation of existing approaches Need to improve engagement with families and communities Need to improve on the scale and quality of MHPSS interventions Need to improve transitions from early emergency response to recovery and regular programming

The Guidelines

An Introduction to the Guidelines by Zeinab Hijazi UNICEF Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Specialist Access the video here

Process for Development Proposed by UNICEF in IASC MHPSS RG meeting 2015 Development of first draft Presentation to UNICEF NY HQ stakeholders Conference calls for buy-in and input by UNICEF field staff Development of second draft Compendium and case study development Review by UNICEF working group & IASC RG Community-based PS working group members Field testing 2018/2019 Revisions and Finalization 2020 Launch 2020

What These Guidelines AREN’T They are not step by step instructions for how to build new MHPSS programmes from scratch What These Guidelines AREN’T

What These Guidelines ARE Intervention activities and operationalizing guidance to embed MHPSS programmes for child and family wellbeing within communities Information on how to implement, target and adapt interventions based around community needs and capacity What These Guidelines ARE

UNICEF staff Partners and other agencies working with children in humanitarian settings to help them effectively embed MHPSS programmes for child and family well-being in communities Audience

How are the guidelines structured?

Understanding Community Based MHPSS The Social Ecological Model: Three Tiers of Support MHPSS theory of change Operationalizing Community Based MHPSS: A Framework 9 Circles of Support Implementing Activities within the Framework Monitoring and Evaluation Community Engagement Participation and Mobilization Annexes 1. Three case studies: South Sudan, Nepal, Lebanon 2. What Other Actors Can Do – Action Sheets from IASC Guidelines for MHPSS in Emergency Settings 3. UNICEF Key Commitments, Frameworks and Minimum Standards 4. UNICEF Community Based MHPSS log frame 5. Scalable Interventions 6. The Evolving Humanitarian Context: Resilience Strengthening Responses 7. Entry points for MHPSS in the Humanitarian Programme Cycle at UNICEF Compendium of Resouces

How to access the guidelines and associated material

How to access the guidelines and associated material Download the UNICEF Operational Guidelines on CB-MHPSS, and accompanying orientation material (coming soon) now available on MHPSS.net via this link. Access the dedicated group on MHPSS.net that includes the resources in its associated compendium. Access the Feedback form for field testing here (link available soon) Files/links for the future printing of the MHPSS Operational Guidelines: MHPSS - PRINT COVER Spreads + Spine x- 1a.pdf - this is one page of outside cover spread with built-in spine text for “perfect binding” (not saddle stitched which uses staples).  There is no inside cover file as they are intentionally blank. MHPSS - PRINT INTERIOR x-1a.pdf -  individual interior pages  The MHPSS Native Files v2.zip for Country Office translations can be found  here

How is this orientation package for the CB MHPSS Operational Guidelines structured?

How is this orientation structured? 1-Introduction to the Guidelines -Why new guidelines? -Overview of the guidelines -Overview of the orientation 2-Theory and Concepts -Community Based MHPSS -The IASC MHPSS Pyramid -The Social Ecological Pyramid -The MHPSS Theory of Change -9 Circles of Support 3-Compendium and Forum on MHPSS.net -Introduction to the Compendium of Resources -Introduction to the MHPSS.net working group 4-Monitoring and Evaluation -The MHPSS Log Frame 5-Adapting Resources -When to Adapt -How to Adapt 6-Community Engagement and Participation -Key steps for Community Engagement 7-Application of the Guidelines -Operational Framework -A Practice Activity 8-Annexes

Questions?