Training in the Management and Prevention of Traumas of War at the Institute of Community and Public Health

ююThe Institute of Community and Public Health has just completed coordinating and overseeing the training of health professionals, counselors and social workers in techniques intended to treat, manage and prevent traumas, especially during war conditions. Thirty-six trainees coming from all the regions of the West Bank and working in governmental and non-governmental organizations were trained for eight days (August 27 till September 4, 2001). The first four days entailed training in the techniques of Critical Incidents Stress Management (CISM), while the latter four days focused in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

The volunteer training team was led by Professor Bill Thomson from the University of Michigan at Dearborn , who along with Michael Murphy (US), took over the training in CISM. Roy Kiessling (US), Jim Knipe (US), Judith Daniel (US), Joany Spierings ( Holland) and Peggy Moore (US) trained attendants in EMDR. Support covering the travel and lodging of the trainers was provided by Steve Sosebee/ Palestine Children's Relief Fund. Exceptional circumstances funds, mainly for hall rental in Ramallah, and covering the cost of housing trainees in Ramallah because of siege conditions was covered by a group of concerned Palestinian American Citizens headed by Dr. Farouq Shafi. Other costs were covered by Birzeit University.

The Institute will now coordinate this newly formed network of trained counseling personnel, and will be linking up to the volunteer psychologist trainers via email and internet for technical and professional support. During the coming academic year, the Institute will convene meetings with the trainees once every two months, and a process of data collection will be initiated, whereby, by the end of the academic year, a database would have been constructed for assessment and evaluation purposes. In the summer of 2002, the volunteer psychologist trainers will visit us again, contribute to the assessment and conduct level two of the training scheme in these methods. At that stage, we hope to have built up a solid foundation for the practice of these techniques in the local context.

For further information about Birzeit University, please visit the University Website at http://www.birzeit.edu