IASC Guidelines for mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings
Initiated by WHO, the IASC Guidelines for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings reflect the insights of numerous agencies and practitioners worldwide and provide valuable information to organisations and individuals on how to respond appropriately during humanitarian emergencies.
Specific action sheets offer useful guidance on mental health and psychosocial support, and cover the following areas: Coordination, Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation, Protection and Human Rights Standards, Human Resources, Community Mobilisation and Support, Health Services, Education, Dissemination of Information, Food Security and Nutrition, Shelter and Site Planning and Water and Sanitation.
The Guidelines include a matrix, with guidance for emergency planning, actions to be taken in the early stages of an emergency and comprehensive responses needed in the recovery and rehabilitation phases. The matrix is a valuable tool for use in coordination, collaboration and advocacy efforts. It provides a framework for mapping the extent to which essential first responses are being implemented during an emergency.
The Guidelines include a companion CD-ROM, which contains the full Guidelines and also resource documents in electronic format. Published by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the Guidelines give humanitarian actors useful inter-agency, inter-sectoral guidance and tools for responding effectively in the midst of emergencies.