Unicef and the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) have partnered to offer arts-based psychosocial care in addition to conventional forms of therapy and care, in a first-of-its-kind effort to improve the mental health and emotional well-being of children traumatized by natural disasters or other crises.
After the Wayanad landslides, the two organizations offered children in relief camps arts-based psychosocial rehabilitation. Official sources state that the new strategy seeks to give children in distress support and a more kid-friendly environment.
KSDMA has taken initiatives to upskill resource workers who work with children in the women and child development department and Kudumbashree Mission in an attempt to broaden the approach to help children in distress.
According to an official involved in the effort, “we used this strategy for children at relief camps in Wayanad after the landslides and it was really beneficial.” “In difficult and stressful situations, the expressive arts served as a channel to help children process their feelings, rebuild resilience, and reestablish a sense of stability.”
KSDMA and Loyola College of Social Sciences, located in Thiruvananthapuram, have partnered to offer a five-day program for government workers who work with children, with financial and technical support from Unicef.
It is difficult for children to have to repeatedly relive their trauma as part of counseling, and arts-based psychosocial therapy offers a whole alternative way for them to communicate their emotions. “It might be music, dancing, painting, drama, or song,” adds Ammu Lukose, chair of Loyola College of Social Sciences’ counseling psychology department.
The event is being attended by Kudumbashree, 50 members of the women and child development department, and counselors from Loyola College.
In February, Unicef and KSDMA are preparing to host another session for a fresh group. According to an official, Loyola College will introduce the module as a course after we create it.
In order to promote emotional healing, participants will get the chance to learn how to incorporate the arts into their work with kids.
By providing a secure environment for children to explore and process their feelings, the program also demonstrates the expressive arts’ ability to aid in disaster recovery.
-Raja Aditya
