Our Services :

      Our work policy influences government so that people with mental health problems can get the support they need and the respect they deserve. In situations of armed conflicts and circumstances of exile the school has a very important influence on mental health and coping of children. Many children can be helped to cope with adverse experiences by teachers, school mates and other school based resources. School based programs run in other countries affected by armed conflicts show the protective influence of school on children. And from that perspective our first project was lunched under the title of “School-based psychological program in Gaza" with its two phases funded by ITF Enhancing Human Security. And later on, the idea of those projects were developed to include establishing counselling units in schools and here a new project was launched under the name of “ Integrating mental health and Psychological services within the educational system: the establishment of Counselling units 2017” which its second phase is now under implementation. As well as, MHPC had implemented two other projects funded by Children’s Relief Bethlehem and they are: Fostering Resiliency of Palestinian Children and their Mothers in the Gaza Strip project, and Treating Children and adolescence victims of complex trauma in the Gaza Strip project.

      Among school workers there are many responsible persons devoted to their work and mission, teachers know their students, they have a considerable pre-knowledge in the psycho social field and social skills for supporting children. Additional education/training and empowerment increase their capacities for helping children in distress. In order to activate teachers to act as helpers to children living in adversities caused by armed , children with learning and behavioral difficulties, school workers themselves should be supported in knowledge and experience, empowered and helped to cope with their own losses and traumas. , Besides, school based programs represent capacity building of teachers and other school workers. Such programs have the character of sustainability (teachers’ sustainability of knowledge and skills in providing psycho social assistance to children, of coping strategies of teachers and students, facilitation of recovery process in children, and other psychological gains).

Main activities:

As a mental health institution our activities vary from conducting training sessions for teachers and workshops for parents to carrying out supervision visits and publishing guiding materials related to mental health issues as well as establishing counselling units in schools.
 

• Training courses:

MHPC regularly organizes capacity building training courses. These sessions include a set of topics such as :key concepts and      principles of psycho social support. How do children react to a crisis situation. The role of teachers and parents in promoting psycho social well being, activities for improved learning and recovery, children’s rights, identifying and assisting children who may need psycho social support, self-assessment questionnaire for stress, building positive teacher- child relationships​,peace building, etc. These training courses were conducted by Dr.Ahmed Abu Tawahina , Dr.Anica Mikus(well-known child psychiatrist from the Slovene Philanthropy and She is one of the 1000 women proposed fort the Nobel Peace Prize 2005) and Dr. Michaella Fried (adolescent psychiatrist, specializing in NVR case management for acute and complex crisis, as well as trauma therapy. She is  contractual partner of the Institut für Neue Autorität in Austria (INA)).

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• Workshops : 
  Building upon previous experience where role of parents in counseling and intervention process were very effective. A series of parent’s meeting were launched by MHPC professionals in participation of Dr. Michaela Fried, who visited MHPC and participated in the main activities the center carried out.Parent’s meeting component is considered as a crucial part of the holistic approach of our projects, parents are targeted as they are a main component in child’s environment and considered as the primary source of support. These meetings aimed at raising parents' awareness regarding children’s behavioral problems, how to deal with them and how to support them. The meetings covered a number of topics such as: Risk factors hindering academic performance among school students, how to foster resilience in children, importance of cooperation between schools and families. Some parents raised specific problems of their children such as Epileptic seizures and the best way parents can use to nurse their epileptic children. Dr. Michaela and Dr. Ahmed helped some parents by reviewing medical reports for children with Attention Deficit and hyper-activity disorder ADHD. Many parents expressed their need for more meetings in order to discuss certain disorders among their children.

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• Supervision Visits: 
   Follow-up is critical to effective professional development, particularly in a context like Gaza Strip, where the most important of
  all characteristics of any effective training program is that it ensures provisions for implementation of acquired skills practically in classroom. Supervision in such a context is used inform teachers of how to most appropriately respond to students and classroom situations, enhance relationships with their students, and increase academic success. For the above-mentioned reason, the MHPC professionals are carrying systematic supervisory visits to schools where teachers and school counselors received training.
  
  The main mission of supervisors is to support the trained teachers and students experiencing  social emotional issues by
  providing consultation, this goal is achieved through case discussion by participants under the supervision and support of MHPC professionals.The  primary purpose of supervision is to help the trained teachers and school counselors respond in effective and  productive ways to various situations they encounter while carrying their daily missions.Supervision sessions also used to empower teachers and provide students with enhanced educational experiences.During these sessions, some parents were invited to participate, in order to make their roles at home more effective.
   

• Publishing guiding materials and establishing counselling units: 
  Thousands of copies of training manuals and brochures had been distributed to teachers and parents during training sessions and workshops. The ultimate goal of establishing counselling units is to integrate mental health services within the educational system . These units aim to provide practical, evidence-based counselling, provided by experts on how to ensure school based counselling services, aiming to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.  The establishment of counselling units will allow students to talk about various things,which they feel uncomfortable.It also allows the students to become better citizens because they are taught by their teachers about how to behave in a proper manner.It enables students undergoing difficulty in their lives, have a good place to ask for questions, as there are some questions that children may find difficult to ask even his/her parents. One can ask any question without fear because the persons in charge are very willing to help.

         
We are very grateful to everyone who supports us financially. Thanks to ITF Enhancing Human Security, Thanks to Children's Relief-Bethlehem, Thanks to Bridges for Hope and Peace. And we would be honored with your partnership.Our projects can be funded in many ways (ideally, financially and personally). Join Us!


 

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