Earthquake Response in Nepal

Earthquake Response in Nepal:

HeartMind International would like to thank all its supporters who helped in fund-raising after the devastating earthquake in Nepal, 2015. Through the support, we generated through this fund-raising we were able to do the following activities:

Immediate response:

Through its partner organization – TPO Nepal, HMI supported immediate mental health and psychosocial services in Kathmandu, Sindhupalchowk and through-out affected areas of Nepal. It provided:

• Psychological first aid for affected communities
• Psychological first aid training for first responders, community health workers, and NGO workers
• Care for children and families with loved ones who are missing, deceased, or injured in the earthquake
• Coordination of psychosocial support within housing, security, food and water, and medical services
• Referral and specialized services with persons and families in need of immediate support
• Community-based monitoring for families and children for long-term effects of earthquake related distress
  

Training of Psychiatrists on mhGAP – HIG (Mental Health Gap Action Program – Humanitarian Intervention Guide)

Right after the earthquake Dr. Brandon Kohrt, Founding Director of HMI and Technical Advisor of Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal (TPO Nepal), along with Dr Rishav Koirala of WHO-Nepal volunteered and train 14 psychiatrists on the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Program Humanitarian Intervention Guide (mhGAP-HIG), a tool developed by WHO to integrate mental health into primary care and community based services during humanitarian emergencies. The training was jointly organized by The Government of Nepal, Ministry of Health and Population, Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO Nepal) and World Health Organization (WHO). The 14 psychiatrists trained in this program later trained more than 100 primary health workers from 14 earthquake affected districts in Nepal. The training was focused on providing mental health care to population effected by mental health problems triggered by the disaster.

Helping school children recover from the Nepal earthquake

In 2015, HeartMind International initiated school mental health programs for adolescents affected by the earthquakes in Nepal. Informed by principles of an evidence-based treatment, our 10-session program with ongoing support was designed to help students to manage emotional responses to the earthquake and cope with related stress. Through interactive and culturally grounded exercises, students learned skills for building and maintaining healthy relationships, normalizing their emotional experiences, self-soothing during difficult moments, and monitoring their internal reactions with compassion and curiosity.

As of 2018, the program has covered 2 schools and over 150 students in the outskirts of Kathmandu in areas heavily impacted by the earthquake. Currently this program is being adapted to help the students deal with stress related to home and school.

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