BHUBANESWAR: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the state government is set to launch a psychosocial support programme for the people and communities in calamity-prone areas to help them deal with stress and other psychosocial issues that arise after a disaster.
The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) will roll out the programme in six coastal districts - Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam - which are vulnerable to disasters, especially cyclones and floods.
“The psychosocial care programme is a first-of-its-kind project in the country. It is a future approach in disaster management which aims to strengthen the mental health and social cohesion among communities living in the calamity- prone areas,” OSDMA executive director Kamal Lochan Mishra said.
A disaster has long-term impact on the affected population in any region. Rescue and relief operations are limited to the disaster period but dealing with the traumatic experiences of the people that last long is equally important.
“When an individual or family suffers any loss in disaster it leads to mental stress and loss of social cohesion in them. Such situation could have serious consequences. The people will have to be provided with post-trauma psychological and social care which will enable them to revive themselves mentally as well as socially,” Mishra said.
The OSDMA will undertake the programme with the help of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru. The plan is to build psychosocial care capacities at the community level and enhance the knowledge and skills of community workers such as ASHA, anganwadi workers and local volunteers to create a pool of trained personnel who can provide psychological first-aid and counselling to the disaster-affected communities.
In preparation for the first phase rollout of the initiative in six districts , OSDMA organised a state-level training programme for 30 trainers including district project officers, psychiatrists and clinical psychologists from district mental health programme and counsellors and district child protection officers from October 17 to 19.
Another round of training will be conducted for the master trainers in November after which training at the district-level will begin and extend to block level, Mishra said.
HOD of psychosocial support in disaster management at NIMHANS Dr Subhasis Bhadra, additional professor at DPSSDM Dr Jaya Kumar and additional prof of psychiatric social work Dr Gobinda Majhi are providing the training.