Being prepared for humanitarian contexts with a caregiver skills resource model; an example from Ukraine

Conflict and displacement have significant short- and long-term effects on the mental health and functioning of families. Exposure to trauma, hardships, parental mental health, changes in parenting behaviours, violence, and a lack of accessible services are among common risk factors for adverse child outcomes. Positive parenting can provide a protective buffer for children’s mental health and wellbeing in humanitarian crisis contexts. 

This paper describes the development of a model of family multi-level support delivery for families living in humanitarian and low resource contexts. At each level families are provided with resources depending on their needs, as well as the stability of the area they are residing in. The resources range from self-read leaflets, booklets and videos, to multi session programmes and extend to trauma recovery interventions. This model forms a stepped care approach to meeting the needs of families.

This presentation will discuss an ongoing study being conducted in Ukraine examining the dissemination and effectiveness of UNODC Specific and interagency evidence-informed light touch parenting resources developed by the Parenting in Crisis Response. The Parenting in Crisis Response is part of an inter-agency coalition including the WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNODC, University of Oxford, University of Manchester and several other organisations and institutions. The response aims to prevent violence against children and promote the mental health and wellbeing of families affected by different humanitarian crises including war, natural disasters, displacement and epidemics. Several of these tools have already been utilized in many existing humanitarian crises around the world including Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sudan. 

Discussions will explore how disseminating family skills resources during crisis contexts can be a key tool in prevention of a number of negative outcomes including prevention of violence, substance use and other risky behaviour, and the promotion of mental health, individual and family functioning. This paper will also reflect on the diverse public health implications of this arsenal of tools being readily available to avail for new emerging humanitarian contexts.