Establishment Guidance Tool kit Intelligence for Humanity Guidance Tool for Empowerment of Ebola Survivors

Strategies to empower ES-CORPS Psychological first aid ES-CORPS self-help group meetings Facilitation for understanding challenges How to address stigma positively Improving access to resources available for Ebola Survivors through coordination Training

Psychological First Aid

What is Psychological First Aid? Providing practical care and support, which does not intrude. Assessing needs and concerns Helping people to address basic needs (for example, food and water, information) Listening to people, but not pressuring them to talk. Comforting people and helping them to feel calm. Helping people connect to information, services and social supports. Protecting people from further harm. Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers WHO, 2011

What Psychological First Aid is not.. It is not something that only professionals can do. It is not professional counseling. It is not “psychological debriefing”. In that PFA does not necessarily involve a detailed discussion of the event that caused the distress. It is not asking someone to analyze what happened to them or to put time and events in order. Although PFA involves being available to listen to people’s stories, it is not about pressuring people to tell you their feelings and reactions to an event. Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers WHO, 2011

More information on Psychological First Aid Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers WHO, 2011

ES-CORPS Self Help Group Meetings

Why ES-CORPS peer support group? Those individuals who have undergone the same experience can help each other. Ebola Survivors have a great experience in common: Survival from EVD and associated stigma. ES-CORPS are are often the people who are best qualified to provide services and support.

Why ES-CORPS peer support group? Peer support groups are a place to – Make friends – Find people who will advocate with you and help you advocate for yourself – To discuss and obtain information on important topics such as the follow up care, medical and social benefits available for Ebola Survivors.

Benefits of ES-CORPS peer support group The act of joining together with others who have “walked in their shoes” enables individuals to recognize that they are not alone, that other people have had similar experiences and feelings. Self-help groups can provide the support that may be missing from their lives. Self-help groups offer a safe place for self-disclosure. Helping others gives group members a sense of their own competence. In contrast to professional/client relationships, members of self-help groups interact as equals. Source: National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse

What makes a good peer support group Find a space where everyone feels safe and comfortable. Plan the agenda before the first meeting and distribute it to all members. List the agenda items according to priority and allot each one a certain amount of time. Before the meeting, choose a facilitator, minute take and a coordinator of refreshments. Ensure confidentiality Have a refreshing welcome. Decide the meeting style – People sharing concerns and support, – it may be organized around a speaker or a specific topic.

Possible Agenda for a two-hour peer support meeting Welcome, discussion of ground rules and meeting overview: 5 minutes Introductions: 10 minutes Support: 50 minutes Business, e.g., decision-making, projects that the group wants to address, etc.: 30 minutes What needs to get done before the next meeting? Figure out tasks, delegate responsibilities, decide on the next meeting time and place: 10 minutes Wrap-up: 10 minutes Circulate contact list, pass out literature, close meeting: 5 minutes

Active Listening Tools for active listening Restating. Repeat what the speaker said in your own words. This reassures the speaker that he or she has been understood. Questioning. Ask questions to clarify details, sort through possible inconsistencies, and gather further information. Demonstrate that you are interested and that you care about understanding the speaker. Focusing. Describe what the conversation is about. Put the speaker’s thoughts and ideas into a larger context. Reflecting. Identify what you perceive to be the speaker’s underlying feelings. Validating. Legitimize a person’s statement by indicating that what they have said makes sense to you.

Resolving conflicts courteously Flare-ups. If two group members get into a heated discussion, summarize the points made by each and then turn the conversation back to the group. Grandstanding. When one group member seems to be monopolizing the conversation, give the speaker credit for his/her contribution and ask the speaker to reserve his/her other points for later. Ask the group if they would like to comment on what the speaker has said. “Broken Record.” If any individual has repeated the same point several times, assure the speaker that his/her point has been heard. Repeat the point a final time and ask the group if they want to continue discussing it. Interrupting. When a group member is interrupted, step in immediately and ask the interrupter to allow the speaker time to finish his/her thought. Criticism. If one group member is repeatedly critical and the criticism is legitimate, validate his/her feelings but encourage him/her to work toward change and focus on the positive. Try assigning the individual an achievable task that addresses his/her concerns.

How to address challenges faced by Ebola Survivors

AAAPT Framework for Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Actors – People – Groups – Institutions Action – Programs – Projects – Activities Artifacts – Outcomes – Outputs – Reports Place – Map Time – Time Line

Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Actors People GroupsInstitutions

Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Actors - Individuals

Mr. X Mr. Y

Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Actors - Groups

Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Actors - Institutions

Programs Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Actions - Programs

Projects Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Actions - Projects

Activities Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Actions - Activities

Outcomes Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Artifacts - outcomes

Outputs Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Artifacts - outputs

Reports Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Artifacts - Reports

Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Place - Map

Use the following symbols to mark the actors and artifacts on your map. Person Group InstitutionArtifact

Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Place - Map Person Group Institution Artifact

Challenges for Ebola Survivors over time Challenges Time

How to address stigma on Ebola Survivors

“An attribute that is deeply discrediting [and that reduces the bearer] …from a whole and usual person to a tainted, discounted one.” By regarding “others” negatively, an individual or group confirms their own “normalcy” and legitimizes their devaluation of the “other.” “Disqualification from full social acceptance” What is stigma? Stigma-Goffman, 1963

Distinguish & label differences Associate negative attributes to perceived differences Separation of ‘us’ from ‘them’ Status loss & discrimination Stigma as a social process (Link & Phelan, 2001)

Why Stigma on Ebola Survivors? Deadly disease Myths about the disease – Origin – Transmission – Outcome

Placing stigmatized groups at the core Target a range of groups; Create alliances & form new partnerships for influence and expanded reach – Foster interaction between groups experiencing stigma & those perpetrating it. “Contact strategies” – Model desirable behavior, hold up & reward role models Employ a combination of approaches, while targeting a range of groups Address immediately actionable drivers How to reduce stigma and discrimination (Laura Nyblade, PhD, USAID)

Foster understanding and motivation for stigma reduction by creating: –Recognition of stigma –The benefits of reducing it –Safe space to reflect and gain skills for change Create Understanding: Close the Intention-Action Gap (Laura Nyblade, PhD, USAID)

Improving access to resources available for Ebola Survivors through coordination

AAAPT Framework for Resources available for Ebola Survivors Actors – People – Groups – Institutions Action – Programs – Projects – Activities Artifacts – Outcomes – Outputs – Reports Place – Map Time – Time Line

Resources available for Ebola Survivors Actors People GroupsInstitutions

Resources available for Ebola Survivors Actors - Individuals

Mr. X Mr. Y

Resources available for Ebola Survivors Actors - Groups

Resources available for Ebola Survivors Actors - Institutions

Programs Resources available for Ebola Survivors Actions - Programs

Projects Challenges faced by Ebola Survivors Actions - Projects

Activities Resources available for Ebola Survivors Actions - Activities

Outcomes Resources available for Ebola Survivors Artifacts - outcomes

Outputs Resources available for Ebola Survivors Artifacts - outputs

Reports Resources available for Ebola Survivors Artifacts - Reports

Resources available for Ebola Survivors Place - Map

Use the following symbols to mark the actors and artifacts on your map. Person Group InstitutionArtifact

Resources available for Ebola Survivors Resource - Map Person Group Institution Artifact

Resources available for Ebola Survivors Time Resource availability Time

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