Psychosocial support is a simple tool for protection and community development
Joseph O. Prewitt Diaz[1] PhD
An increase in natural disasters and conflicts, an awareness of disaster-affected peoples needs, and a group of people that assured that the human rights of disaster affected people are protected has created the synergy for psychosocial support to be acknowledged and placed at the forefront of disaster response.

This synergy has created guidelines and standards that are to be upheld in responding to a disaster. But, what is community based psychosocial social support? Form my optic it is a set of activities that involves psychosocial actions, planning and establishing of  “place”.

Psychosocial actions are the result of community members joining together to identify those activities that impact the quality of life. After a disaster, community mapping, and gathering of data through inclusive community meetings leads to identifying projects that will increase voluntarism, contribute to change, and fosters social planning.

Psychosocial planning consist of three phases: In the first place establish dialogue between all segments of the community, decide the risks and resilience factors, and describe strategies to influence leadership and external stakeholders to develop policies that will impact eh affected-community. Secondly, move from developing policies to implementing policies by identifying programs that are needed to address risks factors and the mechanics of developing the program, Thirdly, engage the community members in activities that will address the needs of all segments of the community. These activities lead people by defining their “place” by focusing on feelings, motives and purposes of the affected-people.

Community based psychosocial support is a developmental cycle by transforming victims into practitioners, and new arrivals into volunteers. There changing knowledge, skills and communication within and without are part of a developing identity— a re-established place.
[1] Dr. Prewitt Diaz is a Visiting Professor and Director of the Disaster Law and Policy Center, School of Law, University of Puerto Rico. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Indian Red Cross Society for the development of psychosocial support programs in several Indian States. 

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Learnings from Psychosocial Supports projects managed by external “Experts” after disasters
Joseph O. Prewitt Diaz,[1] PhD
I just completed over fifty after action reports of psychosocial support programs during the 2004 South Asia Tsunami and the January 2010 Haiti Earthquake. We were trying to understand the impact of external psychosocial experts in diverse groups ranging from community organizations (local NGO’s and GO) to work organizations (INGO’s representing the UN family the Red Cross family and the Faith based family).

Findings:

1.     Many projects were conducted to achieve justice (defined as equal opportunity or equity within a given context). Societal equity in several cases was defined based on the world-view of the external experts rather than consulting the disaster-affected people. Shared resources and mutual concerns for each other were not considered in the development of the projects.  This resulted in a lack of knowledge about shared but unspoken values, norms and cultural practices. The projects lasted as long as the ex-patriate expert remained in-situ and disappeared or was reformulated as soon as the expatriate left the area.
2.     Extensive and excessive use of participation in coordinating groups created a “we-they” relationship with the disaster-affected groups. This let to strong monolithic team culture that focused on the groups “own” job and a self-protective stance (ie. PSP group, WASH watsan groups or the protection cluster).
Lessons learned

1.     Reach out and develop connections within the context of the affected-people. This will foster mutual respect, and a desire to work together, volunteer, identify and use own social capital, and rely on community leadership and skills to improve the well-being in their communities.
2.     Neutralize the “we-they”. Some of the most mentioned suggestions were: (a) community meetings and “melas” (focused meetings), (b) assure representation of all segments of the community (women, children, elderly and differently abled among the most important), and (c) through needs assessment and community mapping activities identify and prioritize particular problems or concerns, and identify the methods on how to tackle the challenge.
3.     Spend significant time building trust and showing respect for the disaster-affected people.

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When feeling afraid brings out the best in you!
Joseph O. Prewitt Diaz[1]
I have spent a large portion of my life feeling afraid and reacting to that feeling. Insecurity, not feeling secure after a catastrophic event, is a normal reaction to an abnormal event. But when you spend a large portion of your life feeling afraid, in spite of external or environmental stimuli, the normal behavior is responding to every stimuli (good, bad or indifferent) by being hyper vigilant, hyper tense, and over reacting constantly, in everyday life, these types of individuals react abnormally to a normal event.

Four sources may cause feelings of insecurity: (1) mother, (2) immediate family, (3) religious leaders, or (4) teachers. External control begin with “Don’t get wet, you will get sick” or don’t walk in the dark room “te coje el cuco” (the buggy man will grab you), or “good boys don’t do this or that”. Implying that since you were doing and unwanted action you were not a good boy. As you grow older you go to church with your elders, while you are quiet, prayful, and do what adults do, everything is good. The minute you start acting out your boredom, you are bad “the devil is surely going to get you boy!” My father used to say.

As you grow up the external stimuli get more sophisticated and hard to follow. “Joe is a good boy, he is at times misguided”. Boy that teacher really treated me well she said I was a good boy. I proudly walk out with my mother and as we turn the corner to go down the stairs, my mother’s hand hit me in my “cachete”. “What did I do”, I ask. My mom responded you made me look bad, it is as thought I “never redirect your behaviors” (my mother was a teacher too, and more difficult to understand).  !Mamii “she said I was  a good boy.” “Yeah, did you hear the rest”. “No mom I forgot”. That initiated an hour length discourse into all the bad things I did, and how many times I embarrassed her.

As I grew older, I was skinny, shock a lot (no me podía estar quieto) and kept quiet.  Well, soon after my 15th birthday, experiencing personal difficulties in turns of understanding what satisfied the adults around me I went away. The little fish had outgrown his pond.

In the ebb and flow of life, I found that I was very good in crisis situations. I was perceived as functioning in a normal way during abnormal times. I had found my calling, as time went on I volunteered in community initiatives. At times I took on more than I could, just so that I could find a solution to the situation. “Yo era diferente” for sure. I became a very good initiator, but very bad at follow through.

Even though I am older and my energy is dwindling, there was a time when at the sound of a radio tune, you would see the white and red jeep speeding down the road. This big guy, got off, ran to the Job Manager and said “Disaster Joe at your service sir.”
[1] Dr. Prewitt Diaz is the recipient of the 2008 APA International Humanitarian Award for service rendered through the American Red Cross in disaster situations. 

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