The interagency guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings: implications for social work

Abstract

The Interagency Standing Committee (IASC) launched a set of guidelines on mental health andpsychosocial support in emergency settings in 2007. Since Social Work is the profession most oftencalled upon to provide emergency services in countries where it is established, it is importantthat social workers are aware of the guidelines, understand their implications, and participatein this review at all levels. In the absence of guidelines as to how community resilience shouldbe supported, humanitarian actors have sometimes been the cause of and not the solution to,psychosocial distress. The guidelines attempt to address these issues. But to be successful theymust be understood and implemented by professional social workers in partnership with indigenouscommunity members and their representatives, who are in the best position to evaluatetheir quality and effectiveness. This presents a new challenge and opportunity for the profession