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) – Portuguese Red Cross

Votre État/Société nationale/institution a-t-il/elle incorporé les engagements contenus dans cette résolution dans les plans stratégiques ou opérationnels pertinents ?

Les engagements sont incorporés dans les documents suivants:
Stratégie
Plan opérationnel

Au National niveau

Précisions :

After more than 20 years, in 2023 the new Portuguese Mental Health Law came into force, a diploma that aimed to guarantee more rights and guarantees for people with mental health care needs.In fact, Portugal has an ongoing a Mental Health Reform based on three pillars: legislative, organizational and assistance. From a conceptual point of view, the Reform follows the principles and recommendations of the World Health Organization and the European Union.

As a NS, we absorbed it as a commitment/guideline to reinforce the social and humanitarian intervention of the Red Cross Network, also in the Mental Health domain. This is specially attained though strengthening the advocacy role of Portuguese RC as an influencer of national and European Public Policies, assisting and complementing public authorities, taking advantage of its unique nature, in order to meet the needs of the communities with which we work.

Votre État/Société nationale/institution a-t-il/elle coopéré avec d’autres partenaires aux fins de la mise en œuvre des engagements contenus dans cette résolution ?

Partenariats avec :
Gouvernement et/ou autorités publiques
CICR/Fédération internationale
Partenaires de l’humanitaire et du développement (par ex. Nations Unies, organisations non gouvernementales, etc.)
Universités

Exemples de coopération :

We reinforced the partnership with the Portuguese Psychology Board and with the Academic domain, which enabled us to set a sturdy scientific frame to our MHPSS activities, namely the CBMHPSS ones: by creating moments of formal Intervision and Supervision in our Portuguese RC network of psychologists.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, our NS is the only Institution officially recognized by The High Commissioner for Migration/Alto Comissariado para as Migrações, ACM (replaced now by the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum/Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo, AIMA) to carry out the transport of displaced people.

We enhanced our alliance with Aga Khan Foundation – Portugal, stepping in crisis management and intervention, building staff and beneficiaries capacity to cope with respective outcomes.

We improved the referral mechanisms to the Public National Health Services, refining them through the identification of focal points, mainly those related to specialized mental health care.

As a formal partner of the Portuguese Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality/Comissão para a Cidadania e a Igualdade de Género, CIG, with which we have an open communication channel, we embody its strategical and operational commitments, namely those manifested in the National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination (2018-2030). We assure that every survivor of gender-based violence that is supported in Portuguese RC services has access to mental health services: focused psychosocial support, but mainly psychological support and specialized mental care.

Vous êtes-vous heurté·e à des difficultés dans la mise en œuvre des engagements contenus dans cette résolution?

Difficultés rencontrées :
Ressources humaines
Contraintes en matière de financement

Précisions au sujet des difficultés :

Most of the challenges refer with funding constraints, which per se are related with the lack of appropriate human resources, in a cause-effect perspective.

Les engagements contenus dans cette résolution ont-ils eu une ou des incidences sur l’action et les orientations de votre État/Société nationale/institution ?

Type d’incidence :
La coopération entre le gouvernement/les autorités publiques et la Société nationale a été renforcée.
La formation et les capacités du personnel et des volontaires ont été renforcées (pour les Sociétés nationales).

Précisions au sujet des incidences :

We recognize that the mental health and psychosocial well-being of volunteers and staff responding, not only to humanitarian needs, but also to (other) emergencies, namely crisis events of multiple nature, can be affected as they are exposed to risks, working often under stressful conditions and in a concerted efforts that resulted in a strong synergy, we conceived and are conducting a Pilot in the Headquarters, specifically designed for MHPSS helpline providers – Collabōrāre, as a systemic and integrative response, based in 3 axes [preventing-training-problem solving] strategically designed to step up personal and professional resiliency, enable the providers with coping tools, increasing mental health literacy, empowering self-care and team bonds, which per se is a promoter for mental health and well-being.

It’s our aim to expand this Pilot to the local branches.

Les engagements contenus dans cette résolution ont-ils eu des incidences sur les communautés auxquelles votre État/Société nationale/institution vient en aide ?

Description des incidences :

We keep strengthening our net, assuring that MHPSS framework is available to local communities through our local branches: 50% growth indicators. This allows to pledge our internal commitment “mental health care for all” which refers to our staff and volunteers, from the basic psychosocial support to specialized mental health care.

Athwart EU4HEALTH, we keep firming, not only our staff and volunteers, but also our local communities, in first responding to critical events, as agents with the ability to help someone in distress through a set of actions, allowing to build a trained and solid network of PFA and CBMHPSS providers all over Portuguese territory.