Caritas Sri Lanka - SEDEC

An innovative program to create a  Caritas Psychosocial Resource Pool at National and diocesan levels was held at the SEDEC Auditorium in Colombo from 23rd - 25th August 2011. A group of 30 Diocesan Psychosocial Coordinators attended this 3-day event arranged by the SEDEC Psychosocial Unit under the guidance of Rev Sr Fatimanayaki. The participants were those who had obtained  'A' Grade in the Certificate Course in Psychological Counselling conducted earlier by a team from the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital.

The main objective of the program was to equip the pool members to be enthusiastically involved in creating awareness on psychosocial issues, illnesses and referral for medication in their own working areas as well as in a network of other NGOs. The three days were devoted to scanning the reality of psychosocial implications and related ill-effects in the war affected and resettlement areas where the vulnerability is quite tangible among the families, especially widows, youth and children.

Dr Sivathas, Psychiatrist and Mental Health Unit Coordinator of Vavuniya District and Dr Ms Bodhini Samaratunge, Medical Officer-Psychiatric Unit, Vavuniya facilitated the entire program on the first two days. On the third day, a panel discussion was arranged by dividing the participants into two groups whose members were called upon to make presentations on topics such as ' Child abuse and its psychosocial consequences', ' Resilience and recovery process', ' Stress Management and healing of psychosocial wounds' and 'Major and minor psychosocial problems that affect a community in particular and society as a whole'. At the conclusion of the panel discussion, the participants were asked to complete an assignment covering all the aspects discussed above.