Building Capacity in Mental Health Disaster Preparedness

Living in a country prone to the risks and hazards of natural disasters, it is more critical than ever to ensure that any disaster preparedness plans should include frontliners who are well-trained not just in dealing with the physical impact of calamities but in mental health interventions. Readiness is key to reducing the risk of disasters by equipping more people, especially community leaders and responders, with skills to extend help in fostering mental and emotional resilience of community members experiencing the impact of the disaster or crisis over an extended period of time. 

This was the goal of  In Touch Community Services (ITCS)  when it recently partnered with the Center for Disaster Preparedness to conduct a training on Mental Health and Psychospiritual Support (MHPSS) in Disaster Risk Reduction for the church workers and other community servants of the United Methodist Church-Pampanga District in Magalang, Pampanga.  

The ITCS training program, called, “Kumustahan”, is a resilience-based mental health and psychosocial-spiritual support (MHPSS) group intervention conducted as a means of promoting a better adaptation of the individual from the impact of a lingering adverse situation. They  were taught capacity as church and community servants when responding to the immediate need of people in times of disaster or crisis. The two-day program was focused on building the disaster or crisis-readiness capacity of participating district superintendents, reverends, pastors and deaconesses and improving the quality of response to the immediate needs of their communities.

The Kumustahan is just one of the various outreach programs that In Touch is offering to communities nationwide as part of its advocacy for Mental Heath education.  Any organization or community groups interested for similar programs or partnerships can contact In Touch at 02-8893-1893 / 0917-863-1136 / 0956-053-4257 (M - F, 9 AM - 5 PM)   or email us at intouch@in-touch.org or communitysupport@in-touch.org.

Video Testimonial from attendee Lestie Cancio