The limited mental health services in the Philippines, especially for critical needs following tense situations such as armed conflicts, became more prominent during and after the 2017 Marawi siege. Thousands of civilians were displaced from their homes; some were trapped and dealt with the ongoing violence. Mental health emerged as a serious concern during and after this difficult period. However, there were only a few capable workers who could deliver the necessary support to the mental health needs of conflict-affected individuals, particularly for victims of violence.
Seeing this need to enhance the capacity of selected psychologists particularly in Mindanao where armed clashes occur, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) collaborated with the Ateneo de Davao University. The partnership resulted in the Advanced Psychological Care Training participated in by government-hired mental health workers from different areas of the region.
On November 12, 2021, 14 mental health workers completed the course, which aims to improve the technical capacity to provide effective psychological support.
The year-long training was divided into three training sessions, with the first (Basic Therapeutic Skills) being conducted on March 22-26, 2021 in Cagayan de Oro City; the 2nd session (Theory and Approaches) on August 2-6, 2021 in Cebu City; and the 3rd session (Refresher Training) on November 8-12, 2021 at Acacia Hotel Davao, J.P. Laurel Ave, Agdao, Davao City.
“Mindanao is frequently visited by natural disasters and man-made crises, so all the more that mental health workers are needed in this area. I really appreciate the effort of ICRC to pull out mental health workers who are working from the ground and are in touch with the communities, and to train them with mental health services,” said Prof. Aufe Fallado of the Dept. of Psychology of Mindanao State University (MSU) Marawi.
During the training, ICRC staff conducted monthly supervision, reinforcement training, monitoring, reporting to ensure the quality of acquired knowledge is sound and well suited to the needs of participants.
Upon the program’s completion, each participant is expected to put in place mental health services in their respective offices, and to deliver mental health and psychosocial support to the communities in response to the pandemic and any armed conflict situation. They will also create and install referral systems to ensure accessibility for poor communities and victims of violence.
“The training helped me grow as a mental health practitioner. At the start of the training, I was a bit hesitant to handle cases because it is humans that we are handling—it is like ‘make or break’. I was hesitant in the sense that I was not equipped. But then, the training helped me to be more confident to know how to efficiently handle cases,” said Lyndel Burces, psychometrician of the Davao Jubilee Foundation, which offers rehabilitation services for people with disabilities.
The ICRC, a humanitarian organization that strives to assist and protect people affected by armed conflicts around the world, started strengthening its own MHPSS capacity and approach in Mindanao, following the Marawi siege.
The Advanced Psychological Care training is part of the MHPSS strategy to promote the sustainability and access of MHPSS services in Mindanao through this capacity-building program. These programs were specifically designed to address mental health needs during emergencies such as disaster, armed conflict, and pandemics.
