Resources
Self-Care Manual for Humanitarian Aid & Development Workers
This 96-page manual provides simple measures to support humanitarian workers exposed to high levels of stress to cope and care for themselves, whilst enhancing their well-being and resilience. This guide is designed for all humanitarians working in demanding and pressurized environment where, due to a lack of financial resources and time, it can be difficult to prioritize self-care actions even though it is highly important for them and the communities they work with. This guide has been created in a way to emphasize the practical aspects of self-care.
Care for Caregivers: Skills for Resilience through Meditation and Mindful Movement
Individuals working in Aid, first response professions and various caregiving roles dedicate their lives to their work - focused on helping and caring for others. In this exceptionally unstable time the expense and systematic neglect of the aid worker’s own wellbeing has been starkly evident and calls for action. This is why this FREE APP, Care for Caregivers: Skills for Resilience through Meditation and Mindful Movement was created. Short sessions of your choice can support you in strengthening your innate resilience and ability to thrive and recover from difficult situations, even in the face of acute and chronic stress.
Humanitarian Exchange Special Issue: Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian crises
This issue of Humanitarian Exchange features two pertinent articles: a summary of the findings from a five-year study of psychological first aid, and an article exploring the mental health needs of volunteers.
IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial support in Emergency settings
The Guidelines offer essential advice on how to facilitate an integrated approach to address the most urgent mental health and psychosocial issues in emergency situations.
Aid Worker Wellbeing and Security Risk Management
This GISF blog by Hélène Cardona-Welstead, GISF’s outgoing Projects and Membership Officer, explores employee wellbeing from a security risk management perspective.
Mindfulness and Wellbeing - Mental Health and Humanitarian Aid Workers: A Shift of Emphasis from Treatment to Prevention
This paper aims to explore the current state of wellbeing support available to aid workers within the humanitarian sector and to offer a possible approach for reviewing and adjusting current wellbeing practices
Managing Emotions in a Pandemic: Understanding the Effect of Uncertainty
This guidance from the Headington Institute explores the brain's response to uncertainty and offers some guidance on how to look after yourself mental health during a pandemic.
Managing Emotions in a Pandemic: Understanding the Effect of Uncertainty
This article from the Headington Institute explores the brain's response to uncertainty and offers some guidance on how to look after yourself mental health during a pandemic.
Traumatic Stress Management Guidance
This document highlights the areas that organisations whose staff are exposed to potentially traumatic situations and/or material should consider addressing in their Health and Safety procedures.
Approaches to Staff Care in International NGOs
In early 2009, People In Aid and InterHealth came together to research the provision of psychological and medical care for international staff and frequent travellers. The focus of the report is on psychological care.
Recovery & Wellness, COVID-19: Operating Considerations for US Based International NGOs
This project brought together subject matter experts and practitioners to provide guidelines for Post-COVID-19 transitioning in the following areas: Human Resources, Insurances and Benefits, Staff Wellbeing, Travel and Journey Management and Operational Security.
Aid Worker Security and Wellbeing at the World Humanitarian Summit
The first ever World Humanitarian Summit is being held later this month in Turkey. It is being billed as a global call to action; an opportunity to change the landscape of humanitarian action and to address some of the most critical issues of our time. It is providing a platform to focus on global humanitarian needs and how we can do better for the people caught up in the numerous crises affecting the world today and in the future. It can safely be said that there are very mixed expectations regarding the outcomes, however the hope is that changes that translate into more effective humanitarian assistance will be seen as a result. The Summit presents an opportunity to continue to highlight and raise the profile of the issue of aid worker safety, security and wellbeing; reinforcing the message that if you want to deliver effective humanitarian assistance you need a competent and fit workforce, well equipped to cope with the demanding conditions they will be working under.