Egypt: Understanding & Addressing the psychosocial needs of migrants and refugees (January 29 – February 2, 2017) by Heinar Bolteya

Understanding & Addressing the psychosocial needs of migrants and refugees (January 29 – February 2, 2017)

Many people are under significant psychological and social stress after fleeing their homes due to armed conflict, persecution or disasters. While many refugees are able to cope effectively and show remarkable resilience by drawing support from their family and community, others in a more vulnerable situation are at an increased risk of developing mental problems. Social and psychological problems developed under these circumstances may exacerbate of distress, the use of negative coping mechanisms and the development or worsening of mental disorders. This course will familiarize participants with the Inter Agency Standing Committee Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, which explains the layers of interventions. Each layer will be discussed in detail with focus on psychological first aid (PFA), basic counseling skills, structured group activities and identification of cases and referrals will also be discussed in depth. Participants will also gain greater understanding of mental health and psychosocial issues faced by refugees and migrants. The course will enable participants to understand the specific and different needs of migrants and refugees and they will learn about the effect of migration and displacement on the individual on the social and psychological level.

The course will include lectures, presentations, role plays, group activities and some arts. Participants will be expected through a group project to design a tentative psychosocial program for refugees and/or migrants. The course will help practitioners gain more knowledge in the field of psychosocial support in emergencies and development content.

About the Instructor: Heinar Bolteya is a counseling psychologist. She obtained her BSc in Psychology at York University Canada in 2009 and her M.A in Counseling Psychology at the American University in Cairo (AUC) in 2011. She is currently a consultant and regional master trainer in the field of psychosocial support in Egypt and the MENA region. She has lead and participated in a series of trainings including: Psychological First Aid (PFA), Healing and Education through the Arts (HEART), Child Safeguarding and identification and referral of cases who need further psychological support. She worked as a staff member and consultant for international organizations and psychiatric hospitals/clinics. To name a few: Save The Children International, Save the Children US, Save The Children Denmark, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Behman Psychiatric Hospital and Al Mashfa Psychiatric Hopsital along with therapy sessions at different counseling centers. Heinar also had extensive experience working as a psychologist in an emergency camp in Salum in 2012 after the Libyan crisis.

Requirements: This course is primarily for practitioners in the field of migration. Participants are usually from NGOs, UN agencies and other stakeholders from Egypt and abroad. It is also for undergraduates and post-graduates in social sciences working on topics related to migrants and refugees. A minimum knowledge of displacement and migration terminologies is a requirement for the course participation. Knowledge of mental health and psychosocial support is not required.

Eligibility for all courses:

Requirements: These courses are offered for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and researchers as well as practitioners working with migrants and refugees. A minimum knowledge of displacement and migration terminologies and context is a requirement for participation in any of the four courses.

All courses are conducted in English and no translation facilities are provided. Participants should have a very good command of the English language. Each course will run from 9.30 am till 4pm for five days.

Interested applicants can apply for one course or for all courses.

Number of Participants: minimum of 12 in each course

NB: Non- Egyptian applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early because it takes more than one month to obtain Egyptian visa.

Dates and Location:

CMRS courses will take place between Sunday 15 of January and 16^th of February at the AUC Tahrir Campus in Downtown Cairo. The exact location and room numbers will be forwarded to accepted participants before the start of the courses.

Deadlines for submitting application for all courses are:

• 8 of Dec, 2016

• Deadline for paying course deposit (30% of the course’s fee- 150$) is 15 of Dec, 2016

Application Information:

To apply for the courses:

1. Fill out the application form. The form is available on CMRS website: http://www.aucegypt.edu/GAPP/cmrs/outreach/Pages/ShortCourses.aspx

2. Send the application form to cmrscourses@aucegypt.edu with your most recent C.V; Att. Naseem Hashim

Applicants may apply to and be accepted in more than one course. Please do not hesitate to contact cmrscourses@aucegypt.edu if you have any difficulty with the application process.
Applicants accepted for the course will be notified by email within a week after the deadline for submitting the application.