Mission & Strategy

Mental Health Action by People (MAP) is founded with the mission to supports various organisations and institutions in promoting and enabling the psychosocial well-being of beneficiaries, staff, students, families and volunteers.

Psychological First AID for COVID Sufferers and Families

During the COVID-19 pandemic, PFA represents one intervention among a range of professional interventions that should be implemented across different service levels. It can be a particularly useful tool for frontline workers, law enforcement, and managers and caretakers. Those who may benefit from PFA during COVID-19 include children, adolescents, adults and the elderly; those suffering from stress or anxiety; people who test positive for COVID-19 and their family members; those in quarantine or isolation; and people who are grieving the loss of someone due to COVID-19. Some considerations have been developed as an inter-agency effort to adapt PFA to the COVID-19 context However, it is important that people with more complex Mental health needs be referred to appropriate professional care. Physical distancing measures may necessitate the delivery of PFA remotely, and it is crucial to avoid generating more stigma associated with COVID-19 by obtaining informed consent and protecting confidentiality

Project: CALM- COVID Assistance Helpline

Introduction

The outbreak of COVID-19 has created concern and worry across the world. Many people are anxious and afraid, with those directly affected in different ways by the virus at risk of heightened levels of distress. Just as happens in other crisis events, COVID-19 has disrupted everyone’s social networks. It has severely restricted social interaction, which is of vital importance for human beings. Keeping a physical distance from others has become mandatory in many states across the globe. In these challenging circumstances, it is crucial to find ways of enabling people to keep in touch with one another and to offer support, even when individuals may be self-isolating or in lockdown. Project CALM during the CoVId-19 outbreak is initiated by MAP to guide beneficiaries in managing distress during a COVID-19 response. Working remotely, with those needing help, using a variety of platforms including phone or internet calls, various apps and other social media. Psychological first aid (PFA) is a well-established approach of helping people in distress so that they feel calm and supported to cope better with their challenges. It is a way of assisting someone to manage their situation and make informed decisions. The basis of psychological first aid is caring about the person in distress and showing empathy. It involves paying attention to reactions, active listening and, if needed, offering practical assistance, such as problem solving, helping to access basic needs or referring to further options for assistance. PFA helps normalize worry and other emotions, promoting healthy coping and feelings of safety, calming, and hope. For PFA during COVID-19 the MAP- Experts has developed an on-line training to train volunteers in providing PFA to person in need. This Project CALM- PFA during COVID-19 applies the usual PFA methods based on WHO and John Hopkins’s RAPID Model and adapts them to remote working.

Psychological first aid (PFA) is a method of helping people in distress so they feel calm and supported to cope better with their challenges. It is a way of assisting someone to manage their situation and make informed decisions. The basis of psychological first aid is caring about the person in distress and showing empathy. It involves paying attention to reactions, active listening and, if needed, practical assistance, such as problem solving, help to access basic needs or referring to further options for assistance. PFA helps normalize worry and other emotions, PFA also promotes healthy coping and provides feelings of safety, calming, and hope. These guidelines can be used by MAP Volunteers (PFA Providers) who are professionally trained in providing psychosocial support in crisis and equipped to set up and run different kind of remote services for the public during the time of a COVID-19 response for all age group of people affected with COVID 19

Psychological First AID (PFA)-Project: CALM- COVID Assistance Helpline by MAP:

The overall objective of PFA Project is to

1. Create awareness regarding psychosocial reactions at a time of disaster or long-term social disruption.
2. Set up and improve preparedness and response mechanisms at global, regional and local levels.
3. Enhance the resilience and thereby the rehabilitation of individuals and communities.
4. Restore community networks and coping mechanisms.
5. Provide emotional assistance to beneficiaries
6. Facilitate psychosocial support before, during and after disasters like COVID-19

The aim of PFA Project is to enable individuals and organisations to understand, respond and utilize evidence-based practice in meeting the psychosocial needs of vulnerable groups. Technical support, including assessment, training, support, monitoring and evaluations is key to integrating psychosocial care in

1. Disaster preparedness and response
2. Complex emergencies like COVID -19
3. Areas of community health, social welfare and youth

Collaborating in Setting up services to provide remote support

As MAP as large team of professional Trained Volunteers across the nations and Renowned and experienced Experts to Supervise and train upcoming volunteers. So we are looking for collaborations to spread this support services among all targeted populations who need to address various mental health and psychosocial issues in response to COVID 19

There are various options for collaborating in providing remote Psychological First AID

• Setting up a ‘well-being and care’ call system, where trained volunteers call several people daily to check on their well-being to find out if they have any needs and to listen to concerns. This may be targeted at older adults, those who are lonely, or people living with disabilities, or those in isolation or quarantine, living far away from their social networks.
• Collaborating with local authorities to run call centres to answer questions from the public on COVID-19.
• Establishing a help line for people with mental health or psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs. Appointments are booked using an app and then the person seeking help would be referred to MAP Expert Team and called back at the agreed time by a PFA helper.
• Circulating MAP regional Coordinating Helpline number in your region to match people needing practical help and support with volunteers.

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