CALM to REMEDY – CIMSA-Indonesia

Name of the activity: Calm to Remedy

Country/NMO: CIMSA-Indonesia

Program: Mental Health

Contact information: contact [email protected] to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: First-time Activity

Category: Education

Focus area: Mental Health advocacy and public awareness, Communities especially vulnerable to mental health

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being)

General description:

As of September 2021, up to 13,273 refugees are registered by UNHCR in Indonesia. CALM to REMEDY aims to raise public’s awareness regarding refugees’ and asylum seekers’ mental health conditions. CALM to REMEDY held a one day event of two webinars and a talk show session about this topic. The volunteers of CALM to REMEDY’s Air Campaign also participated in an introductory workshop regarding Peer Counselor Training. CALM to REMEDY’s main event, Ground Campaign, was held at Kalideres Shelter. 

Problem statement:

As of September 2021, UNHCR recorded the number of refugees registered in Indonesia reaching 13,273 people. A systematic review shows that the prevalence of mental health problems experienced by refugees and asylum seekers is quite high, but access to mental health facilities can only be reached by a very small number of those who need them. The primary data filled in by 109 general public shows that the respondents have a good caring attitude regarding this issue but the actions is still low.

Target groups:

• General population
• Refugees

Beneficiaries:

• General population

Objectives:

To increase awareness, knowledge, and skills of 20 refugees and 100 general public regarding mental health that is often encountered, such as PTSD and ways to deal with it, through online campaigns, webinars, talk shows, and workshops as pre-events, as well as ground campaigns, peer counselor training, and mental health assessment as the main event to be advocated to the related stakeholders, from the 3rd week of September to the 2nd week of October 2022, that will be measured through increase in pre-test to post-test of webinar and talk show participants by 20%, and participants’ satisfaction in all agenda from questionnaire is 8 out of 10.

Indicators:

– The number of participants reached the target, namely 100 people

– The event runs according to the rundown

– Satisfactory feedback from participants, reaching 8 out of 10

– Improved post-test from pre-test scores by 20% 

Methodology:

CALM to REMEDY held a Webinar “”PTSD & Depression 101″” & “”Refugees in Indonesia: How are they?””. This activity was followed by a talkshow session “Refugees: seeing through their lenses” with Mr. Hassan, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan for 7 years. To improve the skills of the volunteers, a workshop was held with the theme “”Introduction to Peer Counselors”” with HIMPSI Indonesia. The main event was carried out directly at the Kalideres Shelter in the form of a ground campaign with meditation training activities, game sessions and painting sessions with refugees.

This activity also presented an Air Campaign with 3 infographic themes, namely “”PTSD & Refugees””, “”PTSD myths & facts””, “”Mental Health Services””, and 2 twibbon publications as a commemoration of World Peace Day and World Mental Health Day. Not only that, we also published educational videos about the actual conditions of refugees, open donations, and volunteering which was attended by 194 applicants.

Plans for evaluation:

– Provide pre-test, post-test, and satisfaction questionnaire via Google form during Webinar

– Providing satisfaction questionnaires via the Google form during Talkshows, Workshops, and volunteering

– Overall impressions and likes for air campaign activities

– The results of the refugees’ mental health assessment during main event

External collaborations:

– dr. Heriani, Sp.KJ(K) from the psychiatry department of the RSCM – As a speaker for the webinar “”PTSD & Depression 101″”

– Zico Efraindio Pestalozzi from SUAKA Indonesia – As speaker of the webinar “”Refugees in Indonesia: How are They?””

– dr. Wiene Dewi Toorsnawati from HIMPSI – As coach for peer-counselor workshop

– Mukhtar, S.Psi from HIMPSI – As coach for peer-counselor workshop