The role of frontline humanitarian workers is not only physically demanding but emotionally challenging. Long working hours, and exposure to different people, emotions, and situations disturb psychosocial well-being especially working with forcibly displaced people.

The PROCAP project works with the distressed population who have been forcibly displaced and living in the states of Mizoram and Manipur in Northeast India. It supports and strengthens the capacity of host communities to provide improved living conditions to FDP communities. The initiative is supported by ECHO and anchored by Caritas Austria with its implementation partners.

In hindsight, the project reflected the need and organised a training of Psychological First Aid (PFA) for its staff during January 11-13, 2023, in Imphal, Manipur. Almost 20 project team members from the state-based partner organisations of Diocesan Social Service Society, Imphal and ZEP, Aizawl participated in the training along with the representatives from the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Manipur.

Ms. Kavya P Rao, a Psychologist and a Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) specialist facilitated the training for the team. She has over 10 years of experience in MHPSS, teaching and project management. The training focused on basic concepts and components of psychological first aid and its importance in the current context of the response.

The team is working under stress and potentially exposed to secondary trauma by listening to the suffering and painful stories of the project participants. The training emphasised the ethical consideration of the Do’s and Don’ts to be adhered to (non-negotiables) by the staff while working with the affected population.

Ms. Gracy, a community mobiliser from ZEP expressed her expectation to learn to control emotional involvement during my work. Other participants shared similar needs including better listening skills, avoiding assurances, trauma management, coping mechanisms and building an empathic approach.

Careful selection, instruction, and support were used in the training to improve stability and create a conducive environment. Personal attributes of humanitarian workers like tolerance, persistence, flexibility, and kindness are linked with more stable placements.

The training participants learnt different aspects of psychosocial care and learnt ways to involve humane, supportive, and practical assistance to distressed people, in ways that respect their dignity, culture and abilities. All the participants were awarded a “certificate of participation” by the project.