View
2
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
www.rmwb.ca
Supporting Community Psychosocial
Recovery – Cross Sector Approach
Alberta Fires 2016
Presenters: Allison Power, AHS AMH
Alison (Ali) Paul, CRC
October 2017
1
MULTI-LAYERED SUPPORTS
Specialized
services
Focused, non-specialized supports
Community and family supports
Basic services and security
Mental health care by mental health specialists (psychiatric nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc)
Basic emotional and practical support by all personnel
Social networks, traditional supports; Community hubs; Child-friendly & female friendly spaces; Youth engagement
Advocacy for basic services, safe environments, dignity, resiliency and respect
PSS roles
IASC (2007)
Mental Health
What is psychosocial support?
3 Disaster Management Safety and Wellbeing Orientation - February 2016
“...a process of facilitating resilience within individuals, families and communities. Through respecting the independence, dignity and coping mechanisms of individuals and communities, psychosocial support promotes the restoration of social cohesion and infrastructure”
(IFRC Psychosocial Framework)
Aim of psychosocial support
• To assist affected people and communities to:
Regain a sense of
normality Restore hope and dignity Improve psychological and
social well-being Attain a stable life and
integrated functioning
2016 Wildfire was the largest
evacuation in Alberta history
Map of Evacuee Locations (May 9)
Fort McMurray Alberta Fire Learnings from past disasters supported the need for the community to collectively work on a psychosocial recovery plan to address the following:
• Local leadership, ownership, and expertise
• Clarity of roles and responsibilities across all sectors
• Coordinated system of psychosocial supports from all sectors
• Enhanced community capacity and cultural sensitivity
• Training and education
7
Phases of Disaster
8
• Research shows that people recover better after a disaster if they feel safe and connected to other people; if they have social, physical and emotional support, and if they feel like they can help themselves and their community
• There were several reception centres established across the province
Reception Centres
After the Fire
The numbers provided immediately after the fire were expected to climb.
Beacon Hill 70% of homes lost
Abasand 50% of homes lost
Waterways 90% of homes lost
Wood Buffalo – 30+ homes lost
After the Fire
Addiction & Mental Health, Wellness Counselling
Adapted services, new name, important partnerships
Re-entry
Mobile Urgent Care Centre, Fort Mash
Considerations:
• Matching responders to needs
• Training and support for deployed staff
Psychosocial Supports
Referrals to Mental Health
• Early contacts: brief contacts; check-ins; follow up with known clients and support to first responders
• Shifted to more typical contacts over time
• From May 10, 2016 to Feb. 10, 2017 – 27,600 client contacts reported by AMH in Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo
Innovative Practices – Caring for First Responders
and Providers
One Have an Incident Management System that is flexible and scalable,
has trained personnel and is linked with external agencies
Lessons Learned
Two Utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to the response in evacuation
centres, including considerations for vulnerable populations
Three Quickly mobilize and utilize your daily communication tools,
both internal and external
Four Be prepared to manage volunteers from within your organization
Five Plan and provide for staff safety
COORDINATION AND THE RED CROSS
THE NEED FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT POST ALBERTA FIRES
• Calls for support and requests
for housing
• Counselling agencies reporting a
higher level of intakes
• Interventions relating to self-
directed violence such as suicide
and self-harm
• Increase in physician services
for anxiety, depression and
substance abuse
SAFETY AND WELLBEING: OUR APPROACH
• Non-duplication of services providing a direct link to
professionals
• Address community priorities through community resilience
approach
• Partnering with local agencies and funding projects such
as:
o Mental health coordinators in schools
o Wellness workshops and groups
• Delivering Psychological First Aid through outreach and
casework teams
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & COORDINATION
• Partnering at regional and provincial
level (EWB Taskforce, CARE Wood
Buffalo, CWR, RCC)
• Information-sharing
• Identifying gaps and coordinating
action
• Facilitating referral network
• Integration and sustainability of
programming
• Supporting action-oriented research
REFLECTING ON THE WILDFIRES:
ONE YEAR ON
23
Evolution of MHPSS Coordination
• Emergency Social Services Coordination
• Regional (EWB Task Force & Teams > CWR
Committee); joint leadership (RMWB & AHS North
Zone)
• Provincial (Addiction and Mental Health Emergency
Coordination Centre (AMH-ECC) > RMWB-AMH
Wildfire Recovery Coordinating Committee (RCC);
RCC joint leadership (AB Health and CRC)
• Agencies around the table(s); links between
Emotional Wellbeing Task Force
• Created on May 19, 2016
• Four phases:
• Phase 1 focused on first responders
• Phase 2 focused on staff working on community re-
entry
• Phase 3 focused on psychosocial supports required to
assist community members during re-entry
• Phase 4 focused on long-term psychosocial recovery
community wellness and resiliency
24
WB CWR Committee
The CWR Committee was created to promote mental health, wellness, emotional wellbeing and resilience, prevent and manage the impacts of wildfire on RMWB residents. Objectives: 1. Increase resilience among direct and indirect
impacted residents 2. Increase community resilience and recovery 3. Reduce vulnerability amongst population
25
RMWB-AMH
Recovery Coordinating Committee
• Prioritizing MHPSS early in response
• Common purpose/vision for collective work
• Joint ownership by regional municipality (RMWB) and provincial addictions and mental health branch
• Inter-sectoral membership of committee
• Forum for information sharing, problem solving, evaluation of needs/gaps/capacities, and continuous learning/evolution of planned action.
26
Fort McMurray Wildfire
• Monitoring, evaluation and research
• Targeted supports for vulnerable populations
• Coordinated supports for Indigenous populations
• Communication and public engagement
27
Wood Buffalo
Psychosocial Recovery Plan
Purpose:
• Provide overall direction and coordination among those
organizations implementing services and supports to the
impacted communities
Objectives:
• Reduce vulnerability among direct and indirect residents
• Increase resilience among direct and indirect residents impacted by the wildfire. Increase community resilience.
28
Value to the Community
• Psychosocial needs of the community are adequately
served
• Reduction in short-term, mid-term and long-term mental
health needs
• Increase community wellness and resiliency
29
30
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?
Recommended