IMPORTANCE OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM WHO WE CAN TRAIN

Post-emergency efforts for psychological support in Georgia Services provided: group or individual psychological/psychosocial support Target groups: children and adults Main target areas: Gori, “former buffer zone” and Tbilisi

Need for further intervention and assistance for IDPs/returnees Two phases of trauma: immediate and longer-term Consequences if untreated IDPs in certain areas of Georgia remain without psychological support Potential for further escalation of conflict situation >> more war-affected population

Why CBT? Small # of sessions required for therapy (10-20) Skills learned can be generalized to other situations and can be used universally Effectiveness of CBT – positive outcome for 80% of patients/clients Necessary conditions for successful outcome: - clients regularly attend CBT sessions - clients practice “homework” between the sessions

What are the gaps? Lack of professionals capable of working with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques Lack of abilities to identify possible PTSD or related cases Lack of understanding of the problem and its importance Threat of burnout/elevated stress levels for emergency relief workers

Potential trainee groups Medical personnel – practitioners - Pediatricians - Doctors usually having first contact with clients/ general practitioners - Emergency/ambulance service workers - Psychiatrists

Potential trainee groups cont. (1) Students - Psychology students (MA and PhD level) - Resident medical students

Potential trainee groups cont. (2) NGO practitioners - Psychologists - Social workers - Caregivers

Potential trainee groups cont. (3) School and kindergarten personnel - Psychologists - Doctors or nurses - Interested teachers

Potential trainee groups cont. (4) IDPs/returnees - IDP/returnee doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, etc. - Non-specialist IDPs from the collective centers or returnees to the villages

Types of training Trainings will be individually tailored Trainings can be relatively short and focused on screening and mastery of basic relaxation techniques, or long and more thorough with more therapeutic focus Trainings will be based on needs assessment and suited to particular capacities of the potential group of trainees Careful selection methods will be used to identify relevant staff members to be trained

Need for PTSD treatment system A system/network of services needs to be established in order to allow quick identification, referral and treatment of post-traumatic conditions Mobile services should be used whenever necessary >> ability to adapt to changing/emerging needs

Early identification and Basic support Schools/kindergartens NGOs Doctors: Ambulance personnel, general practitioners, pediatricians IDPs/ community Treatment/professional support for PTSD Healthcare system Specialized NGO services

Thank you!