It is not news that refugee workers in the field and in agency offices undergo a high degree of stress in their work. But, it is good to know that there is an agency that makes courses available on-line (and free of charge) that refugee workers and field staff can access from anywhere in the world. There are also stress self-examinations, monthly tips and notices of regional training.
The Headington Institute’s mission is to make resources on humanitarian work and traumatic stress available to a wide audience. This free multimedia online curriculum on humanitarian work and stress is being designed for those who are interested in these topics but who may not have immediate access to training and other resources.
This program provides two related types of online training:
Online modules: E-booklets containing study text and personal reflection questions.
E-learning courses: Interactive online courses based on our online modules. These courses can also be downloaded to CD and completed offline.
Three of the courses currently offered online at Headington Institute are:
Understanding and coping with traumatic stress
Humanitarian work is physically and emotionally demanding, and many humanitarian workers struggle to find a healthy balance between the demands of the work and the need to pay some attention to their own well-being. The goal of this module is to provide an overview of traumatic stress as it is related to humanitarian work, and helpful coping strategies for dealing with it.
Trauma and critical incident care
International humanitarian work in the current global context is an inherently dangerous undertaking. Whether it is the result of natural disaster, civil conflict, or domestic crime, few humanitarian workers escape without becoming a target of violence or witnessing violence and its aftereffects. The goal of this module is to explain trauma reactions and explore how to best care for yourself and others after a traumatic event.
On the road again: Coping with travel and re-entry stress
Travel is a normal part of life for many humanitarian workers, but they are not protected from finding it stressful just because they are working for a good cause. This module explores the dynamics of the transitions that humanitarian work demands and coping strategies for dealing with travel stress.
As an additional resource for training, trauma counseling or consulting for your refugee agency or ministry contact Glenn Goss, MSW, at northlinkg@gmail.com.
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