Strengthening of the Psychosocial Support Mechanisms in the Earthquake Affected and Disaster Prone Areas

Background: Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) Nepal, with the support of UNICEF and collaboration with Department of Women and Children was providing technical support in establishing psychosocial support centers in earthquake affected and disaster prone areas.

In this changing scenario where local elected bodies are in place, the allocated budget from central level did not reflect in the local level budget. Centers in the community were not able to access the budget to run the centers. Thus, it was difficult to run the centers and advocacy needed to be focused on ward and rural municipality level.

This program was the strategy to fulfill the gap in the transitional phase with the hope that the centers would succeed to access the fund in local level. Therefore, this program was more focused on advocacy. This phase also included counselling training for which Department of Women and Children selected the participants.

Objectives:

1. To strengthen the local bodies for psychosocial interventions
2. To increase capacity of WCO counsellors to provide MHPSS services to children and families in Community

Target group:

• 32 cooperative members, 16 WCO of 32 psychosocial centres
• 18 WCO counsellors
• 15 members of cooperatives and Social Mobilizers
• 60 children for Emergency support
• 180 ward members
• 300 locally elected representatives

Implementation area: Psychosocial support centers of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Sindhupalchowk

Time frame: 16^th February to 15^th October 2018

Supported by: UNICEF