Διεπιστημονική Συνεργασία στις Ψυχοκοινωνικές Παρεμβάσεις: Η Περίπτωση των Προσφύγων – Εγχειρίδιο για Επαγγελματίες

Abstract

This handbook presents the practical guidelines for interdisciplinary psychosocial support of refugees that were developed by "InterAct - Interdisciplinary cooperation in psychosocial interventions", a European Erasmus+ project between higher education institutions in Germany, Greece, Spain, and Sweden. The project aimed to identify and address success factors of cooperation between psychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work, and education in psychosocial interventions for refugee families, children and adults. The InterAct interdisciplinary team conducted interviews and focus groups with 28 refugees in various stages of resettlement, 30 students from health care and social science training programs and 23 practitioners from the fields of mental health, education, community-based practices, employment, higher education, and asylum services in different European countries. An iterative qualitative approach was applied considering already existing guidelines regarding psychosocial support for refugees. The key dimensions of interdisciplinary psychosocial support that emerged included ethical standards, refugees as active actors, cultural diversity, sustainability and long-term support, community-based participatory approach, contextualization, interprofessional competencies and self-care. The guidelines are illustrated by vignettes stemming from the interviews with the intention to situate the reader in the interdisciplinary psychosocial practice. The handbook also presents the “Framework of Community-based Psychosocial Support” that was developed by the InterAct team with the aim to create inclusive communities, where everyone is entitled to participate and do their meaningful occupations. The framework integrates key principles from community-based, psychosocial and participatory approaches with human rights, ethics and social justice as universal principles. This framework is to be understood as a reflection tool to develop supportive psychosocial strategies and/or to reflect upon existing psychosocial services in different contexts (e.g., refugee accommodations centers, municipalities, hospitals, schools) to promote the wellbeing and mental health of refugee families, children and adults.