Psychosocial Support Training (2nd Batch), Siem Reap, Cambodia

14 to 18 November 2022 – Psychosocial Support Training (2nd Batch), Siem Reap, Cambodia

ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) in collaboration with the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) and Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) with generous funding support from the ASEAN-Korean Cooperation Fund, ARMAC’s Victim Assistance (VA) Project hosted the first in-person training on Psychosocial Supports (2nd Batch). The training was primarily targeted for community leaders and volunteers from national non-profit organization and foundation including Cambodian Mine Victim Information System (CMVIS), Volunteer Survivors Network, Physical Rehabilitation Center, and Cambodian Red Cross.
The aim of the training is to enhance the skills on psychosocial support for aforementioned groups to enable them to provide psychosocial supports to landmines/Explosive Remnants of War-ERW victims at their communities. The trainees were introduced to series of topics covering psychiatric diagnosis, anxiety disorders, psychosocial impact of landmines and basic ground techniques, psychological first aid, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, caring for the self, alcohol and drug abuse, somatic symptom, suicide and deliberated self-harm.
The trainees felt grateful to undertake this training as the provided skills, for example, basic ground techniques and care to the self, can be applied not only to themselves when encountering trauma and stress but also to the Victims.
The total number of trainees was 78 persons and many of them express their interest in upgrading their skills to become the Psychosocial Support Trainers, which is planned to be held in late 2023.
Dr. Evelyn Boon, Prof. Leslie Lim and Dr. Cecilia Kwok, psychologist and psychiatrist experts, led a five-day Psychosocial Support Training.