Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian and Emergency Settings Training Course

Course Introduction
Humanitarian crises, conflicts, natural disasters, and public health emergencies place immense psychological and social strain on affected populations and responders alike. The Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian and Emergency Settings Training Course equips professionals with practical knowledge and skills to address emotional distress, trauma, and social disruption in high-risk and resource-constrained environments.
Psychosocial support is a critical component of humanitarian response, ensuring that immediate life-saving interventions are complemented by strategies that protect dignity, resilience, and mental wellbeing. This course introduces internationally recognized psychosocial support frameworks and emphasizes culturally sensitive, ethical, and community-centered approaches.
Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of how emergencies affect individuals, families, and communities differently, including children, women, older persons, and people with disabilities. The course explores the interaction between trauma, loss, displacement, and disrupted social systems across emergency phases.
A strong focus is placed on practical field application, enabling participants to assess psychosocial needs, design appropriate interventions, and provide psychological first aid while recognizing professional boundaries. Learners will develop skills to support survivors without causing harm or fostering dependency.
The course also addresses the wellbeing of humanitarian workers themselves, examining secondary trauma, burnout, and stress management in emergency operations. Emerging issues such as climate-related disasters, protracted crises, and remote service delivery are integrated into the learning process.
By the end of the training, participants will be prepared to plan, implement, and coordinate psychosocial support interventions that strengthen resilience, restore social functioning, and contribute to sustainable recovery in humanitarian and emergency contexts.

Who Should Attend

• Humanitarian and emergency response professionals
• NGO and international development staff
• Psychosocial support and protection officers
• Health, social work, and community development practitioners
• Disaster risk reduction and emergency planners
• Field coordinators and program managers
• Child protection and gender-based violence officers
• Volunteers and first responders
• Faith-based and community leaders in crisis areas
• Policy makers and humanitarian decision-makers

Duration

5 days

Course Objectives

• Develop participants’ understanding of psychosocial support concepts, principles, and frameworks used in humanitarian and emergency settings to promote ethical and effective interventions.
• Equip learners with practical skills to assess psychosocial needs and vulnerabilities among diverse populations affected by conflict, disaster, or displacement.
• Strengthen participants’ capacity to apply psychological first aid and basic supportive interventions in emergencies while respecting cultural norms and professional boundaries.
• Enhance awareness of trauma, grief, and loss reactions commonly experienced in crisis contexts and appropriate non-clinical response strategies.
• Build participants’ ability to design community-based psychosocial interventions that restore social connections, dignity, and resilience.
• Improve understanding of protection principles, safeguarding, and do-no-harm approaches in psychosocial support programming.
• Increase participants’ knowledge of coordination mechanisms, referral pathways, and multi-sectoral collaboration in humanitarian responses.
• Address staff wellbeing by equipping participants with strategies to manage stress, secondary trauma, and burnout in emergency operations.
• Introduce emerging humanitarian challenges such as climate-induced displacement and prolonged crises and their psychosocial implications.
• Enable participants to contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes that strengthen the quality and impact of psychosocial support interventions.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Psychosocial Support in Emergencies

• Definitions and core concepts of psychosocial support
• Impact of emergencies on mental health and wellbeing
• Humanitarian principles and ethical considerations
• Overview of global psychosocial frameworks

Module 2: Understanding Crisis and Trauma

• Types of emergencies and crisis phases
• Trauma, grief, and loss reactions
• Cultural expressions of distress
• Resilience and coping in crisis settings

Module 3: Vulnerable and At-Risk Populations

• Children and adolescents in emergencies
• Gender-based violence survivors
• Older persons and persons with disabilities
• Refugees, IDPs, and host communities

Module 4: Psychosocial Needs Assessment

• Rapid psychosocial assessment tools
• Community mapping and stakeholder engagement
• Identifying risks and protective factors
• Ethical data collection in emergencies

Module 5: Psychological First Aid

• Principles and steps of psychological first aid
• Providing immediate emotional support
• Managing distress and crisis reactions
• Referral and follow-up considerations

Module 6: Community-Based Psychosocial Interventions

• Strengthening social support networks
• Group activities and peer support
• Cultural and traditional coping mechanisms
• Promoting community resilience

Module 7: Coordination and Referral Systems

• Multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms
• Working with health, protection, and education sectors
• Establishing referral pathways
• Case management basics

Module 8: Staff Care and Wellbeing

• Understanding secondary trauma and burnout
• Stress management in emergency contexts
• Team support and peer supervision
• Organizational responsibility for staff wellbeing

Module 9: Emerging Issues in Humanitarian PSS

• Climate change and disaster-related trauma
• Protracted crises and chronic stress
• Digital and remote psychosocial support
• Ethical challenges in complex emergencies

Module 10: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Measuring psychosocial outcomes
• Indicators and tools for PSS programs
• Accountability to affected populations
• Learning and adapting interventions

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, airport transfers, Upskill gift package and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better