European Network for Psychosocial Crisis Management - Assisting Disabled in Case of Disaster – Implementation
Duration: 01.01.2016 – 31.12. 2017
The project EUNAD IP is funded by the Directorate Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection-DG ECHO. Following the accounts of the UN Disability Rights Convention it aims towards the continuation of implementation and preparation of EU human rights-related assistance programmes for disabled survivors of disasters. Concepts of psychosocial crisis management for disabled will be developed, evaluated and imparted. This will be conducted on the basis of existing guidelines and the results of former EU projects, e.g. EUNAD, EUTOPA and EUTOPA IP (IMPACT Guidelines for Early Intervention and for uniformed services, Target Group Intervention Program (TGIP) for large-scale damage situations, more information - www.eunad-info.eu).
EUNAD IP is a direct continuation and an expansion of the EUNAD project (2013-2014) which initially focused on the psychosocial crisis management for visually and hearing impaired people, including relevant aspects of psychotraumatology.
EUNAD IP is coordinated by the German Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (Bonn, Germany). It is supported by a group of well-established cooperating partners and by closely collaborating institutions
Summary of the project
An essential result of the previous EUNAD project was the appeal to extend the target groups, to intensify relevant research activities, to integrate the associations of the disabled in crisis management programs and to develop specific educational training tools to improve self-help competences of people with impairments in case of disaster. EUNAD IP takes up these demands in its work plan, thereby it attempts to attain three primary objectives:
1. EUNAD IP integrates physically and mentally disabled people in the crisis management programs. It continues to pursue relevant research, expands the EUNAD-expert group and the EUNAD-recommendations and develops training modules for first responders, social workers, and mental health professionals. Particularly the knowledge about the specific reactions, needs and demands of mentally disabled people in disaster settings is insufficient among organisations and professionals working in disaster preparedness and response. Furthermore psychosocial emergency care, in terms of secondary and tertiary prevention, poses a substantial gap for disabled people. This sets out the need for specific training and education for various occupational groups on psychosocial crisis management for people with disabilities.
2. EUNAD IP implements and expands scientific evidence based on our results of EUNAD concerning the psychotraumatology and the psychosocial situation of individuals with impairments. EUNAD IP develops training concepts and improves the existing network of psychosocial crisis management.There is still a substantial gap of knowledge with respect to the concepts of prevention about hazards, trauma exposure, psychological reactions and coping mechanisms among sensory impaired individuals. Hence the results of EUNAD shall be expanded through the implementation of EUNAD IP.
3. EUNAD IP develops and evaluates educational toolkits for disabled children and young people in order to strengthen their self-help competences and to improve their preparedness in disaster settings.
To achieve these objectives we subdivide our project into the tasks of Evaluation, Research, Workshops, Recommendations, Training and Toolkits.
