Gaza Community Mental Health Programme Conducted Specialized Training on Trauma-Informed Care

Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) conducted a specialized training titled “Trauma-InformedCare”incollaborationwiththeSouth-SouthMedicalAlliance.Thetraining was delivered by international expert trainers over six intensive days, with four hours of training each day via Zoom.

The training targeted a group of psychologists, social workers, and health professionals from GCMHP and focused on enhancing their skills in providing services that take into account the effects of psychological trauma, while promoting safety, trust, and empowerment for service beneficiaries.Thesessionscoveredboththeoreticalandpracticalaspects,including:

 Understandingtheconceptofpsychologicaltraumaanditsmultipleimpactsonindividuals and communities

 Principles and components of trauma-informed care

  Skills for building safety, trust, and empowerment with beneficiaries

 Strategiestoaddresstheeffectsoftraumainprofessionalandserviceenvironments  Theimportanceofself-careformentalhealthprofessionalstopreventburnout

Trainers from the South-South Medical Alliance presented the latest global models and practices in trauma-informed care, emphasizing practical application within the Palestinian context,adaptedtothesocialandpsychologicalrealitiesofGaza.

This training reflects GCMHP’s continuous efforts to integrate international expertise into its services, aiming to enhance the quality of mental health support provided to the Palestinian community, especially amid the challenging humanitarian and psychological conditions in theGaza Strip.

At the conclusion of the training, participants expressed their appreciation for the initiative,noting how it enriched their expertise and strengthened their professional capacities, and emphasizedtheimportanceofcontinuingsuchdevelopmentalprogramstoensurethedelivery of high-quality, trauma-sensitive services.