IOM - Assessment on the Psychosocial Needs of Haitians Affected ...

d) To restore of a sense of legality and rule of law, possibly in a participatory community- based
fashion.
e) To device and implement, in collaboration between communities, religious and traditional
religious leaders of a Country dedicated ritual funerary ceremony, that could serve as definitive
closure of the issue of proper burial of corpses.
f) To harmonize the available services and communicate their availability in a transparent
fashion. It is recommended to establish or potentiate outreach-information teams, working in
close collaboration with cluster and governmental systems, and with camp authorities.
g) To establish a newsletter for camp distribution and radio ads on available psychosocial
services.
h) To establish a website of the humanitarian agencies’ resources.
i) To respond to the long term outcomes of the current situation, building in service the capacity
of the country to respond, through the establishment of an in service master program in
psychosocial responses at the individual, family and community level, and the creation of a
national expert team.
A part from the results of the study research, stakeholders formulated as series of
recommendations that are summarized here below
• Culturally sensitive programs: Haitians have strong attachment to cultural systems and values.
MHPSS programmes should be community-based, family-focused and culturally-sensitive. The
community should draw on their own resources to guide and lead MHPSS programming for
sustainability
• Avoid duplication of services: Organizations are concentrating on the same activities like child
friendly spaces and group responses, and in the area of Port Au Prince. Thus brings to duplication
as well as produces several gaps, both geographical and in the services provided.
• Mental health Structure: Many organizations are concentrating on psychosocial support and
neglecting specialized mental health services. There is need to develop specialist psychiatric
services for referral, and encompass traditional practices and trans-cultural models in the services.
• Integration of mental health in health: Mental health should be integrated with other medical
outreach services. People living in areas hardly hit by the earthquake are suffering from all kinds
of lingering maladies such as lost limbs, broken legs, eye and ear injuries as well as head injuries
thus a need for integration to meet these health needs exists.
• Integration of livelihood within psychosocial programs: Integration of the psychosocial and
livelihood programmes is advocated. MHPSS programmes are successful when invested within
rebuilding local economies. On the other hand, MHPSS programmes provide a multiplier effect
on livelihood programmes.
• Child Protection: child protection is to be included in any psychosocial structure due to
vulnerability of children and their situation in the country even before the earthquake.
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