Psychosocial Support for Gaza Communities Project Title :	Psychosocial Support for Gaza Communities
Allocation Type Category :	
OPS Details 
Project Code : 		Fund Project Code :	OPT-16/DDA-3482/oPt/PROT/INGO/3118
Cluster :		Project Budget in US$ :	249,872.03
Planned project duration :	6 months	Priority:	
Planned Start Date :	01/07/2016	Planned End Date :	31/12/2016
Actual Start Date:	01/07/2016	Actual End Date:	31/12/2016
Project Summary :	The Psychosocial Support for Gaza Communities project will mitigate the psychosocial impact of conflict on affected children and caregivers in the Gaza Strip through structured psychosocial support services. Mercy Corps’ interventions will allow these populations to better cope with stress of the protracted conflict and improve their psychosocial wellbeing through the provision of opportunities to gain knowledge and acquire skills related to coping with stress and through positive social interactions. 
The project which will involve two phases of PSS activities will provide age and gender sensitive psychosocial support (PSS) services to children, caregivers, and families and will include: structured psychosocial support group sessions through guided PSS sessions targeting groups of children (7 – 12 years) and adolescents (13 – 16 years), both male and female guided PSS sessions targeting groups of caregivers, mainly mothers of targeted children joint PSS group sessions targeting children (7 – 12 years) of both genders and their caregivers (mainly mothers), and family PSS sessions, targeting families as one unit. Additional interventions will involve awareness workshops targeting male adults through which they will gain knowledge related to stress management, as well as community open days during which program beneficiaries (of varying age and of both genders) already benefiting from the group PSS sessions will have access to various recreational activities including clown shows and/ or amusement parks. 
Mercy Corps will work in partnership with six community based organizations (CBOs) that have well–established experience in PSS field. These CBOs are experienced in implementing the project’s activities with a high level of quality, including facility infrastructure/setting and staffing. To maximize their participation, Mercy Corps will engage partner CBOs throughout the various project’s phases, including design and implementation through partner meetings and/or other modalities of coordination. To guarantee high quality implementation, Mercy Corps will use evidence–based implementation methodologies including, but not limited to “CABAC” manual, “Joint Sessions’ manual”, and “Art and Play Sessions’ manual” in accordance with relevant guidelines (IASC MHPSS Guidelines). Mercy Corps, together with its partner CBOs, will select, and as needed, train qualified PSS facilitators (both males and females) and will organize a “Helping the Helpers/Staff Support” event targeting all of the project’s team members. In this context, Helping the Helpers activities are aimed to provide project team members with opportunities for stress relief through engaging in PSS and/ or recreational activities, something highly important for them as they can keep high momentum of working with the project’s beneficiaries. 
Linked to the above, Mercy Corps will maintain a coordination mechanism with concerned protection stakeholders including local and/ or international NGOs working on GBV, Child Labor, etc. (in line with protection standards). Linkages will be established with Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP) to provide specialized mental health services, as well as with international and/or national child protection NGOs so as to guarantee the provision of comprehensive protection services, as needed, to program beneficiaries through relevant referral mechanisms.The project has been designed based on various assessments and reports, including protection reports that show the need for PSS interventions for children