BETWEEN
POVERTY & TRAUMA
A shelter management manual for migrant and trafficked women and girls and the reintegration of trafficked survivors
BETWEEN
POVERTY & TRAUMA A shelter management manual for migrant and trafficked women and girls and the reintegration of trafficked survivors
This is a project by The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network) in collaboration with the Good Samaritan Association. Compiled by: Abebaw Minaye (PhD) School of Psychology Addis Ababa University
Illustrations by Mwesigwa Bhengie Design & Print by Revolve Tack Ltd
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface Principles in Using the Manual
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SESSION 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Experiences during trafficking and Post return 1.2. Services returnees need 1.3 Screening and assessment guide
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SESSION 2: PHASES IN SUPPORTING VOTS SESSION 3: GENERAL CARE PROVISION PROCEDURES IN SHELTERS 3.1. General services 3.2. Service philosophy 3.3. Security and safety assessment 3.4. Harm reduction 3.5. Ethical considerations in the general Care work SESSION 4: VICTIMS CASE MANAGEMENT 4.1. Concept of case management 4.2. Generic skills 4.3. Case work practice skills 4.4. Smart practices guides for Responsible case management 4.5. Ethical principles in case Management SESSION 5: ETHICS AND CODES OF CONDUCT IN SHELTER SERVICES 5.1. Introduction 5.2. Codes of conduct in assessment and intervention 5.3. Codes of conduct in client treatment, institutional policy and professional behavior
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15 16 17 18 21 22 24 25 26 27 31 32
36 37 39
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SESSION 6: MEDICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC CARE 5.1. Physical health problems 6.2. Mental health problems 6.2.1. Types of mental illnesses and Possible medical and Psychological treatments
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SESSION 7: COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ASSISTANCE 57 7.1. Conception and objectives of counseling 58 SESSION 8: RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR VICTIMS SESSION 9: BASIC SKILLS TRAINING 9.1. Life skills training 9.2. Business skills planning 9.2.1. Entrepreneurship 9.2.2. Starting and improving one’s Business (siyb) 9.3. Employment opportunities 9.3.1. Proper use of resources and financial education
66 70 71 75 75 76 80 81
SESSION 10: SUPERVISION, MONITORING AND FOLLOW-UP 86 10.1. Concept and role of supervision 87 10.2. Creating a productive workplace culture 88 10.3. Standard supervisory tasks 89 10.4. Styles of supervision 90 10.5. Monitoring and follow-up 92 SESSION 11: SELF-CARE FOR STAFF 11.1. Burnout 11.2. Burnout self-exam 11.3. Practicing self-care to reduce Burnout
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FOREWORD This manual has been developed by SIHA to respond to the growing needs within the Horn of Africa to establish shelters for women and girls whose lives and well-being are at risk. The manual is also inspired by the experiences of women and girl domestic workers and migrant domestic workers and women who have been victimized due to their poor employment conditions and further victimized by the societal and cultural stigma leading to them becoming traumatized and struggling with poor mental health and stigma. Additionally, this manual will serve women survivors of sexual violence and women whose existence is threatened by social norms and religious fundamentalism. The production of this manual would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of Good Samaritan Association (GSA), an organization that runs a women’s shelter considered to be one of the leading shelters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The GSA Shelter mostly focuses on the provision of support to women survivors of trafficking and women domestic worker returnees to Ethiopia who would have previously migrated to the Arab and Middle-Eastern countries to seek employment and provide support for their families. Majority of these women experience severe torture and abuse by their employers and return to their homes with serious mental health issues and trauma. The hazards around the domestic work are largely due to the fact that the work occurs within private and isolated spheres. The households in the Gulf countries are highly isolated territories; leaving the workers extremely vulnerable to all forms of abuse. The challenges in and around the human rights violations and abuses perpetrated against migrant women domestic workers from Africa have several layers including their race, gender and area of work. As SIHA, we hope that women organizations and government agencies working with women and girls across the region will benefit from this publication and will consider the importance of women’s temporary shelters as a critical establishment to support masses of poor women subjected to torture and violence due to their employment and /or social and economic conditions. Having a shelter in addition to psycho-social support services will aid women in regaining their self-esteem, and heal and reclaim back their ability to function within society. This manual shows the importance of considering the impact of discrimination, repression and abuse on the mental health of women particularly poor and marginalized women and girls who perform marginal jobs and, migrant women and girls who are more subjected to torture and abuse and very much in need of safe spaces to regain their mental health. Hala Alkarib Regional Director – SIHA Network
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