Report on – 33rd IC Resolution 2: Addressing mental health and psychosocial needs of people affected by armed conflicts, natural disasters and other emergencies (33IC/19/R2) – Swedish Red Cross

¿ Ha incorporado el Estado/la Sociedad Nacional/la institución los empeños contenidos en esta resolución en los planes estratégicos u operativos pertinentes?

Los compromisos han sido incorporados en
estrategia
política
plan operativo

A internacional, regional, nacional, local nivel

Explicación:

The Swedish Red Cross has integrated Resolution 2 into its new strategic direction for 2024-2030. Mental health and Psychosocial support is an important part of the strategy’s main goal that the Swedish Red Cross is a humanitarian force that strengthens people and communities and responds quickly in crises locally, nationally, and internationally. At the national level, Resolution 2 is integrated into SRC health policy and integrated into national programs that provide preventive MHPSS support. Mental health and psychosocial support are an important, integrated part of SRC’s health-promoting efforts (basic psychosocial support) such as social, cultural, and physical activities, and are central to local crisis preparedness where all volunteers receive training in psychological first aid. Regionally, SRC has agreements with several regions in the health and medical care sector on trauma treatment, where the Red Cross provides specialized care. In International Operations, in cooperation with Partner National Societies, action plans are developed within the framework of the resolution and policy.

The Swedish Red Cross has played a central role in advancing the implementation of the MHPSS Resolution and Policy, as well as the MHPSS Roadmap that is based on the latter. This entails representation in the MHPSS Movement Steering and Coordination Groups, which have overseen and coordinated the MHPSS Roadmap implementation. The SRC has taken an extra role in the implementation of Priority Area 3 in the Roadmap, based on the protection and promotion of the mental health and psychosocial well-being of staff and volunteers.

Ha trabajado el Estado/la Sociedad Nacional/la institución con otros asociados para poner en práctica los empeños contenidos en esta resolución?

En asociación con:
Sociedad Nacional de la Cruz Roja o de la Media Luna Roja de su país
gobierno y/o autoridades públicas
CICR/Federación Internacional
otras Sociedades Nacionales de la Cruz Roja y de la Media Luna Roja
asociados en los ámbitos humanitario y de desarrollo (por ejemplo, Naciones Unidas, organizaciones no gubernamentales)
mundo académico

Ejemplos de cooperación:

Resolution 2 has been a guiding principle in dialogue with the government and authorities since 2019, e.g. included in the Swedish Red Cross’s consultation responses and contributions in the process feeding the government’s development of a new national strategy for mental health and suicide prevention, as well as in the Swedish Red Cross’s collaboration with the prison and probation service through MHPSS’s project “help to self-help” for detainees amd awareness-raising efforts for prison staff and Red Cross volunteers.

In cooperation with the IFRC/ICRC, Resolution 2 is well integrated, for example in collaboration with the IFRC on the EU4healht work to strengthen MHPSS’s support to Ukrainian citizens and other new arrivals in Sweden. SRC has since 2020 been Co-chair of the IFRC network for mental health and psychosocial support, the network ToR has been updated and alienated with Resolution 2 and changed its name from ENPS to IFRC MHPSS-EN to symbolize change. SRC, together with the Red Cross University College, has a Competence Centre for the development of clinic-based research together with our six treatment centres for war and torture victims who provide specialized support in mental health and psychosocial support. Resolution 2 is a guide in the IFRC research networks where the SRC is active.

The SRC has also co-led a Movement-wide working group together with the IFRC, focusing on the implementation of Priority Action Area 3 of the MHPSS Roadmap based on the MHPSS Policy. Priority Area E focuses on protecting and promoting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of staff and volunteers. Recognizing the need to increase knowledge and capacity among managers and leaders, a new e-learning module, It Starts with You – Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing as a Manager, launched in 2023. Available in multiple languages, the course offers practical tools and insights for managers, including a self-assessment and a comprehensive toolbox. This toolbox supports managers in creating and maintaining mentally healthy workplaces.

Moreover, the SRC has a strategic partnership with the ICRC to address MHPSS needs arising from armed conflict and violence, ensuring access to integrated services and strengthening cooperation in alignment with MHPSS Policy and resolution at the 2019 International Conference.
Key priorities include enhancing collaboration in operational contexts by leveraging SRC and ICRC expertise and ensuring complementarity in capacity development for local actors through joint assessments, trainings, and tool development. The collaboration focuses also on implementing the MHPSS Policy and Roadmap with relevant joint activities and experiences and advocating for MHPSS at the 34th International Conference while following up on commitments.
The SRC has also advocated for the right to rehabilitation for people suffering trauma due to war, conflict, and perilous migratory journeys, both nationally and at the EU level. This advocacy, grounded in the experience and evidence from our five rehabilitation centres as well as the MHPSS Policy and resolution, has focused on ensuring that trauma survivors are identified and have effective access to relevant health services.

The SRC has also cooperated with other NGOs and UN agencies as well as the Swedish Government in the area of MHPSS. On 18-19 March 2024 the SRC co-organised with the Swedish Government, the 2nd Nordic conference on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Fragile and Humanitarian Settings will take place in Malmö – Sweden. The conference focused on four topics and link them to the seven cross-cutting thematic areas identified in the Nordic Road Map on MHPSS in Fragile and Humanitarian Settings 2022-2030: 1) MHPSS and gender; 2) MHPSS and innovation and digitalization; 3) MHPSS and climate change; 4) Inclusion of MHPSS in healthcare

¿Ha habido dificultades para poner en práctica los empeños contenidos en esta resolución?

Dificultades en relación con:
recursos humanos
limitaciones de financiación
conflicto de prioridades
falta de capacidad y/o de apoyo (técnico, financiero o de otra índole)

Describa detalladamente estas dificultades:

Resolution 2 has provided support and guidance on Swedish Redcross internal priorities and the MHPSS is well integrated into strategies and programs. Nevertheless, there is sometimes a lack of visibility internally due to competing priorities. SRC have challenges in following up and evaluating the impact of MHPSS’s efforts, even though good support from SRC own developed and from IFRC M&E framework, we lack tools and methods to collect MHPSS data from a large part of our national programs. Over the past year, Human resources in MHPSS have been strengthened in our international department and SRC has intensified work with support to partner National societies within MHPSS and secured funding for the coming years. Previous absence of HR resources has affected support for MHPSS as well as reduced funding for MHPSS efforts in international operations.

Movement cooperation in this area can be challenging at times. Therefore, increased and tangible political support by senior and middle managers is required across the Movement in order for MHPSS to feature in all activities, to be funded, and included in global and regional coordination across all sectors. Strong advocacy is required by all in leadership positions to ensure MHPSS is featured across all the Movement’s resources and activities, as well as those of States.

¿Han incidido los empeños contenidos en esta resolución en el trabajo y la dirección del Estado/la Sociedad Nacional/la institución?

Tipo de repercusión:
fortalecimiento de la cooperación entre el gobierno o las autoridades públicas y la Sociedad Nacional
aumento de la eficacia y la eficiencia de los programas y operaciones
desarrollo y uso de herramientas o metodologías innovadoras
establecimiento o fortalecimiento de asociaciones con otros actores humanitarios
incremento en la movilización de recursos
formación y capacidad de los miembros del personal y de los voluntarios (en el caso de las Sociedades Nacionales);

Describa detalladamente las repercusiones:

Resolution 2 has given the SRC a clearer mandate to conduct dialogue with the government and has been used to structure the dialogue, for example, around priorities in discussions with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where support for staff and volunteers has been raised. An internal cross-departmental working group was appointed within SRC from 2020-2023 to ensure the implementation and integration of the resolution and policy. During this period, MHPSS work has been strengthened in several departments. A couple of examples include:
Innovation and digital development within MHPSS: SRC has built a web hub for mental health and psychosocial support, where MHPSS knowledge is collected and disseminated to SRC participants, volunteers, and the public. To reach particularly prioritized target groups, SRC works with co-creation with target groups to produce material and spread knowledge around MHPSS to break the stigma about mental health (the web hub has about 150,000 unique visitors per year).
SRC has developed its complementary and supportive role in crisis preparedness through several local collaborations with municipalities, as well as followed up on how many volunteers receive training in psychological first aid each year (about 500) and developed further training for volunteers who work in the emergency phase of local preparedness. SRC prioritizes early intervention in preparedness and has a local presence to break loneliness, provide support and recovery to people in vulnerable situations, and provide specialized support at the Red Cross treatment center.
In the Movement, SRC is working together with other National Societies to develop curricula for MHPSS delegates and has identified a need for more specialized MHPSS support to partner National Society countries as well as increased funding for investment in the coming years. SRC support for staff and volunteers has been strengthened and made visible internally during the period, through network meetings and efforts to reach out directly to volunteers and through strengthened support for volunteer leaders and boards that build up and are responsible for local operations.

Developing the new e-learning module, It Starts with You – Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing as a Manager, has also positively impacted our national society by enhancing our commitment to promoting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of staff and volunteers. Internally, we are exploring how to integrate this training into the onboarding process for new managers, ensuring they have the resources and knowledge to support their teams effectively from the start.

5. Han incidido los empeños contenidos en esta resolución en las comunidades a las que el Estado/la Sociedad Nacional/la institución presta servicios?

Describa las repercusiones:

At our Rehabilitation treatment centers for war and torture survivors, we provide about 1300 patients with trauma treatment annually. Patients’ children receive support through children’s activities, and about 1500 professionals in the health care system receive training on trauma every year. The Red Cross prioritizes local presence in socio-economically disadvantaged residential areas and conducts long-term and area-based work. In 2023, most of our crisis responses targeted the effects of violent acts in places where the socio-economic challenges are great. The local presence over time creates trust and gives the Red Cross the opportunity to provide MHPSS support when trust in authorities is lacking. An initiative focused on MHPSS for young people living with socio-economic vulnerability has, through co-creation, produced films that have reached 1.3 million views via TikTok with the goal to break stigma and raise awareness of MHPSS.
The new e-learning module, It Starts with You – Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing as a Manager, has helped increased the knowledge and capacity among managers and leaders. Available in multiple languages, the course offers practical tools and insights for managers, including a self-assessment and a comprehensive toolbox. With over 5200 participants from 208 locations and a completion rate of 1564, the course highlights significant interest and need.
Moreover, the cooperation with the ICRC in addressing MHPSS needs arising from armed conflict and violence has impacted the communities we serve in various contexts. This collaboration involved capacity development for local actors and movement partners, including mental health professionals trained in settings such as Syria, Armenia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan, focusing on trauma-related interventions on the upper levels of the MHPSS framework. This partnership has notably enhanced the capacity of local mental health professionals and movement partners to respond effectively to MHPSS needs in these challenging environments.