Improving global prehospital and emergency medicine, public health, and disaster health care and preparedness

Psychosocial

The establishment of the Psychosocial SIG was approved by the WADEM Board of Directors in March 2012. Any WADEM member in good standing with expertise or interest in the psychosocial aspects of disasters is eligible to join the special interest group.

SIG members are strongly encouraged to send any psychosocial documents developed by your regional/national groups for inclusion on the links below.

SIG Newsletters

MIssion & Vision

Mission: To pursue didactic, research, policy, and operational excellence in international disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, including the prevention and mitigation of psychosocial stress and the promotion of resilience.

Vision: To enhance the role of disaster mental health specialists in responding to and providing support across the different phases of a disaster.

Objectives

The objectives of the Psychosocial SIG are to:

  • Promote the learning and understanding of disaster mental health at the individual and community level;
  • Disseminate throughout the international disaster-related community empirically derived "best practices" and "lessons learned" by means of workshops and conference presentations as well as web-based materials;
  • Increase the presence and activities of disaster mental health specialists in disaster preparedness and response through their inclusion in existing and newly developed response networks;
  • Strengthen the research as well as the intervention skills of disaster mental health specialists through enhanced academic courses and practical training;
  • Promote greater involvement in national and international committees while identified as a WADEM representative in the field of psychosocial disaster care;
  • Coordinate international collaboration in research and in creative care approaches among psychosocial section members worldwide;
  • Develop tools for measurement of psychosocial aspects of emergencies and disasters in a standardized and internationally accepted manner.

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