New Guidelines for Addressing Mental Health in Emergencies

New York Launch of Guidelines Important Step Forward

IMC Psychiatrist Lynne Jones uses finger puppets as part of story-telling exercises with children at an IDP camp in northern Uganda.

Los Angeles, CA – On November 20, 2007 the Interagency Standing Committee Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings will be launched at the United Nations headquarters in New York. International Medical Corps is a co-sponsor of the launch and is proud to be one of the signatories on these guidelines that aim at providing the best possible care to survivors of conflict and disaster. The product of more than two dozen agencies coming together, this is a major step forward for organizations like IMC who are providing care on the ground, and for the communities we serve.

“This is an excellent example of collaboration around an extremely important issue to have 27 agencies sit down over two years, discuss all the possible ideas and come up with an agreed upon framework," says Mary Pack, International Medical Corps’ Vice President of Domestic and International Affairs. The comprehensive guidelines, put out by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, are not just about treating mental disorders, but providing social support for the whole affected community.
“They say quite clearly that mental health and psychosocial support are cross-cutting issues that affect all aspects of humanitarian work,” says Lynne Jones, International Medical Corps’ technical adviser in mental health. “For the woman in Pakistan who has just been involved in an earthquake, the camp manager now has guidelines on the psychosocial aspects of food distribution, the provision of shelter, water, education for her children, and other necessities. The whole way she’s provided with humanitarian support should be done in a way that actually reduces her stress and doesn’t increase it.”
On November 20, Lynne Jones will be part of a panel that is going to discuss the significance of the guidelines and the importance and challenges of their implementation after opening remarks by John Holmes, the UN Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

A drawing by an 11-year-old girl from Darfur, depicting the graphic violence he had witnessed. Art therapy in refugee camps like this one in Chad, is a crucial component of IMC’s psychosocial programs worldwide.

Over the past several years, International Medical Corps has successfully integrated mental health services into primary care programs, reached out to affected communities, and helped reduce the stigma of mental illness. It has made mental health a flagship initiative and are dedicated to promoting the mental well-being of people in areas affected by disaster and conflict around the world.
“I’m really pleased that our approach to mental health is in keeping with the agreed consensus from the wider community,” says Jones, who has extensive experience in the field. International Medical Corps has played a role, along with many other agencies, in creating the consensus, demonstrating that inter-agency cooperation is not just possible but can move things forward.

Among other things, the guidelines also address how best to handle pre-existing mental health conditions, which has been largely ignored in the developing world.

Since its inception in 1984, International Medical Corps' mission has been clear: Relieve the suffering of those affected by war, natural disaster, and disease by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. Passing on essential skills that help people help themselves is critical if those hit by tragedy are to return to self-reliance. IMC has received a four-star rating for four consecutive years by Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator.

For more information please contact Stephanie Bowen (310) 826-7800 or Natalia Cieslik (202) 828-5155

Visit our site on MENTAL HEALTH in emergency settings. CLICK HERE