1. MODULE OBJECTIVES

The general objective of this module is to equip learners-participants with skills and knowledge related to psychosocial health and well-being. Special emphasis is placed on psychosocial health and wellbeing in high stress environments due to various types of violence including family violence, Sexual Violence (SG) and Gender Based Violence (GBV), and HIV/AIDS related issues, etc.

Specifically having successfully completed the module, learners should be able to:

  • Know and understand basic concepts and importance of guidance, counselling and psychosocial support to survivors of SV and GBV
  • Provide services in foundational knowledge and skills related to psychosocial service delivery in context of violence.
  • Train and direct service providers in supporting treatment adherence using a biopsychosocial framework to establish continuity of care and coordinated service delivery
  • Identify individual and community strengths using a Rwandan sociocultural context taking into consideration human resource capacity for service delivery.

2. MODULE BRIEF DESCRIPTION

This module comprises two parts. The first part introduces basic social work knowledge and skills needed to assist survivors of various types of violence including Sexual Violence (SG) and Gender Based Violence (GBV).

The first part concludes with a package of various interventions designed to respond to the needs of survivors/victims of those violence. Those interventions include social work approaches like counselling approaches and case management approaches.

The second part discusses foundational social work practice skills. Learners are acquainted with practical skills related to community-based approach to deliver services to survivors of SG and GBV. The focus is put on the utility of prevention strategies, and intervention strategies designed to strengthen individuals and community responses to the cases of violence.

3. MODULE CONTENTS:

Part 1. Foundational Social Work Knowledge in the context of violence

Chapter 1. Key concepts definition

    1. Definition of social work
      1. Theories and methodology used in social work
      2. Social work practice with individuals, couples and families, groups and communities
      3. Social work values, and ethical principles for the professional social worker (Human rights and human dignity, social justice, power & oppression, diversity)
    2. Definition of guidance and counseling
    3. Psychosocial context
    4. Concepts of micro-mezzo and macro
    5. Ecological approach
    6. understanding Sexual Violence and Gender Based Violence

Chapter 2. Psychosocial issues of survivors of Sexual violence and gender Based Violence

2.1. Confidentiality: foundational psychological concepts: separation, connection, psychological well-being and loss

2.2. Stress and trauma, traumatic memory, PTSD (burnout, and compassion fatigue)

2.3. Connection, social support, coping, resilience (practice tool: ecomap)

2.4. Individual and family responses to isolation, disconnection and distress and loss: child abuse, domestic violence, political violence

Chapter 3. Social work interventions for survivors of sexual violence and Gender Based Violence

3.1. Perceptions, beliefs, myths and facts about sexual violence, GBV and HIV/AIDS (Prevention as an approach to intervention)

3.2. Medical model/clinic base and home visiting model of intervention

3.3. Community care model of intervention

Part 2. Social work practice skills for working with survivors of Sexual Violence (SV) and Gender Based Violence (GBV)

Chapter 4. CARE/CASE Management in action

4.1. Understanding the concept of Care/Case Management: definitions and responsibilities

4.2. Applying PI model- balanced view of the client, context and interventions

4. 3. Conduction assessment

4.3.1. Identifying problems, services, levels of care from individual, community and agency context

4.3.2. Applying underlying principles of assessment: hope and self determination

4.4. Case Planning

4.4.1. Individualize: male vs female; older survivor vs younger survivor

4.4.2. Community considerations

4.4.3. Resource linkage

4.4.4. Problem identification and goal setting

4.4.4. Monitoring

4.4.5. Termination and future care planning

4.4.6. Small group experiential exercise

4.4. Service coordination

4.4.1. Resource linkage continued

4.4.2. Establishing continuity of care as framework for service

4.4.3. Examining attitudes and perceptions and relationship to service availability and delivery

4.4.4. Perspective of case worker, client, community & society

4.5. Care/case management basic components

4.5.1. Planning and ongoing assessment of need and services

4.5.2. Communication: Use of various communication techniques to establish trusting relationship, build rapport and convey empathy

4.5.3. Identifying strengths of client, caseworker, community and organization/agency

4.5.4. Managing barriers to helping

4.5. Care management of the care/case manager, Self-care of the case/care manager: strategies to manage psycho-emotional wellbeing of caseworker

  • Delivery methodology

The instructional methods of this module include mainly participative method, lectures with extensive interaction between trainee and the trainer, readings, class discussions, group assignments and case studies. Trainees will mainly participate through group works, presentation, discussion and experience sharing. There will be a combination of theory and academic concepts with practical applications.

The instructional materials/equipment include textbook, module profile and trainer’s guide, projectors, and case studies. Trainees will be organized into teams for answering review questions, reading cases studies about the problems of survivors of SV and GBV worldwide and particularly in Rwanda, social work theories of assisting the survivors of violence with the purpose of understanding and explaining the discussed items/topics. Group works will be formed, each team will submit an executive summary of the case study, answers to review questions and one or two group representatives will present to the class on behalf of group members.

A part from a final evaluation, Team members will be graded equally on the team’s verbal presentation and on the executive summary. During training each session will begin with the evaluation of the previous session and this helps the trainee to recap before starting new session.