Psychological rehabilitation of IDP children and adolescents Center for Social Sciences Open Society Georgia Foundation 2009

Project steps: I steps:  Group work with IDP children  Trainings for IDP parents II steps:  Training for IDP parents  Individual psychological consultations for IDP children and adolescents  Educational booklet for IDP parents

The Project Goal: To teach children, youth and their parents in a step by step practical way to develop some skills and techniques which are helpful in coping with the psychological effects of war and trauma.

Organizational structure:  6 mobile teams of psychologists  Team members: – Trainer – professional psychologist (at least with Master’s degree in Psychology) – Trainer Assistant (at least with Bachelor’s degree in Psychology) – Volunteer

Training for professionals  Training for all mobile team members: Crisis Intervention and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Prevention  Crisis Center,Bergen, Norway Training program: Children and War: Teaching Survival Techniques

Covered Collective Centers : April-May, 2009 Five IDP Collective centers – Tbilisi: – Former Military Hospital (Isani) – Dormitory (Bagebi) – Building for frontier hospital – Former building of Ministry of Finance – Municipal District of Krtsanisi

Number of groups:  Children – 10 groups ( 6 5 child all together)  Parents – 5 groups ( 2 5 parent all together)  6–7 meetings with each group

Resuming the Ist Step:  Extremely Low Level of Parental Education – Trauma effects on children – Characteristics of specific age level  Deficit in Positive parenting skills  Consequently, – Need of booklet preparation for parents – The necessity of parent educational trainings  Trainings need in IDP new settlements  Need of Children Individual psychological consultations

II step: organizational structure: November-February ( )  2 teams of trainers, two psychologists in each one  Two psychologists working on the booklet for parents  Four psychologists for children and adolescent individual psychological consultation

Training modules Topics of training modules  Post traumatic Stress reactions  The specific age related features of traumatized children and adolescents  Child behavior management and Positive Parenting

Booklet for IDP Parents “ Difficulties and overcoming ways in traumatised children and adolescents”  Booklet– for parents  Main issues are based on above mentioned training modules: Post traumatic Stress reactions Post traumatic Stress reactions The specific age related features of traumatized children and adolescents The specific age related features of traumatized children and adolescents Child behavior management and positive parenting Child behavior management and positive parenting  Quantity – 200 copies

Covered IDP new settlements :  Shida Qartli Region Shavshvebi Shavshvebi Khurvaleti Khurvaleti Berbuki Berbuki Karaleti Karaleti  Mtskheta-mtianeti region Saguramo Saguramo Tsinamzgvriantkari Tsinamzgvriantkari Tsilkani Tsilkani

Training groups :  2 training groups in each settlements - 15 in total Settlement headmens’ interaction in the process of selecting training participants Settlement headmens’ interaction in the process of selecting training participants IOM – support IOM – support  Max. 15 participants (parents) in each training group  156 parents in total

Individual psychological consultations  Individual psychological consultations for children and adolescents (16 in total ) and for one parent  IDP-s in need of individual psychological counselling were registered at the end of the training  The revealed psychological problems : Behavior management ( aggression, anger ) Behavior management ( aggression, anger ) Depressive mood Depressive mood Developmental problems Developmental problems Regressive behavior Regressive behavior Sleep difficulties Sleep difficulties

The resume of second step :  Considerable number of IDP children and adolescents in need of Individual Psychological consultation  The need of more visits for individual psychological consultation  The need of individual psychological consultation for parents while working with children and adolescents

Recommendations Recommendations  Psychological consultation for children and adolescents because of psychological (behavioral and emotional) difficulties caused by traumatic experience  Psychological support for IDP children in special needs and for their families.  Individual psychological consultation for parents while working with children and adolescents

Thank you!