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Dr. Joseph O. Prewitt Díaz2

 One of the objectives of the American Red Cross strategy in providing
technical and financial support to the Indian Red Cross Society is to conduct
staff development activities in all sectors of the Society: National HQ, State
Branches, and Local Branches. In the target local Branches, villages and
schools will be targeted for direct services. Teachers and community facilitators
will be trained via thematic units focusing on group development, community
based disaster mental health preparation, publicizing mental health and
psychosocial care programs, and skills necessary to promote proactive
behaviors.

To achieve the training objective of the Workplan, three distinct groups

will be prepared: (1) crisis intervention professionals, (2) crisis intervention
specialists, and (3) crisis intervention technicians.

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The first group, crisis intervention professionals, is individuals who have

a background in mental health or disaster preparedness, response, or
management. They will be assigned to the Disaster Management Center (DMC)
of the Indian Red Cross Society, and will commit 500 hours of volunteer time
after completing the program of study. The pre-requisite to participate in this
program is a Master·s degree or higher and/or equivalent experience in disaster
related activities.

The role of the professionals will be to:

1
This model was adapted from the Disaster Mental Health and Psyhcosocial Support developed by the
author in Guatemala, CA.
2
Dr. Prewitt Diaz served as the Head of Programs for India on behalf of the American Red Cross 2002-
2008.
 2

1. Advice the DMC staff on matters of Disaster Mental Health before,

during and after a disaster.
2. To conduct or coordinate the development and execution of a rapid
needs assessment in the affected geographical area.
3. To call out other mental health professionals, organize DMH teams
and coordinate teams in the field from the DMC to provide timely
service to the affected geographical area.
4. Prepare, conduct, and disseminate training activities, education, and
public information activities pertaining to Disaster Mental Health.
5. Coordinate DMH services to the affected community with GO·s and
NGO·s.
6. Other activities as assigned by the DMC Director.

To perform these tasks, the candidate will complete a course of study

composed of eight (8) courses. These courses will require (1) classroom
activities, (2) small group activities, and (3) a fieldwork activity. To complete
the course a final project will be conducted by each candidate under the
supervision of a faculty member and prior approval from the IRCS. The
following are the suggested courses:

1. c

 



 


 (16 hours). The
ICRC, the IFRC, and the IRCS. The Geneva Convention, the
Seville Agreement and other pertinent information regarding
the movement. The SPHERE Indicators and the WHO
guidelines for psychological care will be discussed. It is
expected that the candidate will have the basic knowledge
required by a Red Cross volunteer and will be able to be
inducted as a volunteer into the IRCS.

2.  

 


   

. (45 hours) This
course introduces crisis intervention professionals to decisions
and actions required at the disaster site by local, state, and
NHQ involved in disaster relief and reconstruction. This
module is designed to increase the audiences· awareness of the
nature and management of disasters, leading to better
performance in disaster preparedness and response. By
understanding the crisis intervention professional role, we can
describe a coherent and cohesive direction for people who are
involved in the field of crisis intervention during disaster.
 3

3. 


 
 


    

 





    
. (45 hours). The training
module illustrates the key principles and strategies for effective
rehabilitation and reconstruction after a disaster. It highlights
the constraints and opportunities provided by these stages of
recovery from impact of damaging events. It provides the
crisis intervention professional will understand the linkages
between the various stages of the psychological response in
each of the phases within the disaster continuum.

4.  


   

 

 

   

  

   




 
  
. (45
hours). This course will introduce the concept of disaster
management to the crisis intervention professionals. The
training process is designed to increase the awareness of the
nature and management of mental health and psychosocial
health care during a disaster. The participant will understand
the nature and procedures of administrative crisis intervention
in the wake of disasters involving several specific operations,
such as: communicating with other health and social services,
coordinating, planning, monitoring and effective delivery of
mental health and psychosocial care to several affected sites at
the same time.

5.  
   

 

 

      

 (45 hours). Mental Health services have a vital role to
play in the coordinated response to disaster in the community.
A considerable body of scientific research is now available to
guide the formulation the appropriate mental health and
psychosocial care responses and help in the identification of
those who may require on-going support. This course is
designed to explore the existent body of scientific research and
to identify principles that are applicable to India.

6.          


  

. (45
hours). This course is designed to teach techniques that
prevent and mitigate the psychological dysfunction which
exposure to traumatic situation like disasters may cause in the
survivors and first responders. It seeks to develop strategies
that will provide persons with the knowledge and skills to
 4

better understand, recognize, and manage their emotional

responses to traumatic situations.

7. 

 

   

       

(45
hours). The learner will comprehend the four strategies for
stress mitigation in schools and communities: training of
indigenous personnel and teachers, disaster preparedness and
strategies for stress management, how to utilize media to
deliver messages related to stress management, and care
activities in the community. The method to provide teachers
and other school personnel with techniques that will assist in
the promotion, organization, development and evaluation of
stress mitigation plans in educational centers.

8.       



       
  (45
hours). The course will begin with a discussion of the three
forms of prevention (reduce the incidence of disorders;
minimize the harmful effects of events that have already
occurred, repair damage long after its original onset). Secondly,
the course will help the learner to name the basic strategies in
crisis intervention: enhancement and treatment strategies.
Thirdly, the learner will learn to re-establish immediate coping
by utilizing strategies of psychological first aid.

At the conclusion of the course of study and the completion of the 500
volunteer hours of service, the candidate will receive a Certificate as a Crisis
Intervention Professional.

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 The crisis intervention specialist will be prepared at the State level. In
each target State there will be about 35 specialists trained. These individuals
will be assigned to the State Branch of the IRCS and will commit three (300)
hours of service. In the preparedness phase, the specialist will provide
education about stress mitigation to the schools and community. During a
disaster they will be responsible for the organization of the immediate response
teams. They will coordinate immediate crisis intervention and psychological
first aid activities to the survivors and emotional support activities for the first
responders. The pre-requisite for participation in this program is an advanced
 5

degree in education or social work and/or experience in disaster preparedness

and response.

The role of the crisis intervention specialist will be to:

1. Advice the State Branch staff on matters pertaining to disaster

mental health and psychosocial care.
2. Generate a list of mental health professionals and volunteers in
the community and develop a call-out system.
3. Provide disaster mental health and psychosocial care education
to the Technicians in the Branch level, teachers, aanganwadi
workers, and village members.
4. Generate a vulnerability map of all the target villages, in
conjunction with local Branches, participating communities
and schools.
5. Responsible for quarterly simulations of DMH/PC response in
the target villages and schools.
6. Develop knowledge of instructional methodology appropriate
to adults in the local Branches and the target villages.
7. Provide technical assistance in development public relations
activities that highlight mental health for the communities and
villages.

To perform these tasks the candidate will complete a 15-day program of study
consisting of five modules:

1. The ICRC, IFRC, and the IRCS.

a. The Fundamental Principles
b. The Seville Accord
c. WHO standards of response
d. SPHERE minimum indicators of service.
2. Elements of community development.
a. Importance of community development in stress mitigation
b. Situational leadership
c. Communication skills.
d. Verbal and non-verbal behavior
3. Disaster preparedness, response and disaster mental health/psychosocial
care.
a. Disaster preparedness and response
b. Diagnosing the community strengths and needs through mapping
 6

c. Triage and Rapid Needs Assessment (WHO Rapid Assessment of

Mental health needs; WHO Mental health check list of frequent
complaints in emergencies; Composite International Diagnostic
Interview)
4. Promoting disaster mental health and psychosocial care in the villages
and schools.
a. Fundamentals of Instruction to support and implement the
DMH/PC program in schools and villages.
b. Developing community awareness campaigns
c. Approaching the press (print, TV, radio).
5. Stress mitigation in the community and schools
a. Psychological first aid
b. Crisis intervention
c. Stress management, relaxation exercises, and other self-care
activities.
d. Using community metaphors to encourage communication
e. Visualization and affirmations
f. Returning to emotional wellness after a disaster.

At the conclusion of the course of study and the completion of the 300
volunteer hours of service, the candidate will receive a Certificate as a Crisis
Intervention Specialist.

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The crisis intervention technician will become volunteers of the local

Branch of the Indian Red Cross Society. This group of individuals will be
trained at the State level. This group will be responsible for developing
preparedness, stress mitigation, and recovery activities in selected villages and
schools. The background of the participants will be that they are local Branch
IRCS volunteers, aanganwadis workers, teachers and others in the community
with disaster response experience.

The technicians will be expected to:

1. Respond through the local Branch to provide Psychological First Aid if

needed after a disaster.
2. Conduct Rapid Needs Assessment in target villages in the event of a
disaster.
 7

3. Organize preparedness, stress mitigation and response activities in the

schools and villages.
4. Review and prepare existing materials to publicize disaster mental
health and psychosocial care.
5. Encourage social networking through stress management activities in
the community.
6. Develop community resource centers with support of the Crisis
Intervention Specialists.

To perform these tasks the candidate will participate in an 80-hour program

of study to be completed in eight days. The program will consist of the
following units:

1. Introduction to the ICRC, IFRC, and the IRCS.

a. The Seville Agreement
b. SPHERE indicators
2. Disaster mental health to psychosocial care
3. Psychological First Aid, crisis intervention, information, education and
referral.
4. What is a Rapid Needs Assessment and how do to use the tool
a. WHO Rapid Needs Assessment Tool
b. WHO checklist for frequent complaints in emergencies
b. ARC Rapid Needs Assessment Tool
5. The community facilitator as an agent of change
a. Organizing the community
b. Assessment of community needs and protective factors as they
relate to disaster mental health and psychosocial care.
c. Promoting Mental Health and psychosocial care thought the
media.
d. Mental Health preventive and care activities
6. The teacher as the Stress reduction manager in the schools.
a. Assess needs and protective factors in the school as they relate
to mental health and psychosocial care.
b. Develop an emergency response plan that includes feasible
strategies to address risk situations in the educational center.
c. Organize groups composed of teachers, children, and other
school
personnel and parents that will design a strategy of response
to a possible situation of emergency.
d. Conduct simulations to test knowledge, skills and abilities
of self-care, and the appropriate use of materials and
 8

equipment.
7. Elements in developing a community resource center that will foster
community reunification and networking.

The participant will receive a certificate as a Crisis Intervention

Technician after completing the academic requirements, the practical
experiences and 200 hours of volunteer services.

In the following years there will be promotion from within the ranks so
that a technician may qualify to participate in the specialist course of study, and
the specialist may qualify to participate in the professional course of study.