Integrated GBV and MHPSS emergency response in  Baghlan  province The project intends to provide integrated GBV and MHPSS emergency response services to communities in need of support by deploying 4 mobile teams in Baghlan province. Mobile teams will be composed of two community mobilizers/health educators (one male and one female), one midwife, one PSS/GBV counselor, one MHPSS counselor, and one guard. 

Activities included in this response are evidence-based and complementary. Specialized case management services, including GBV case management provided by IMC, will ensure that survivors of GBV receive the care they need to increase well-being and resilience at a time when reports of violence are increasing and the existing capacity to address these issues remains inadequate. Recognizing the fact that responding to the needs of GBV survivors is lifesaving, the significance of creating a safe environment to provide protection response services based on a survivor-centered case management approach, as well as a set of prevention activities that help alleviate the vulnerabilities of the affected communities while also mitigating protection risks associated with GBV is important. The community-based approach will increase community awareness of GBV, services available in WGSSs, and referrals to the Psychosocial Counselling Centers (PSCCs). Under this intervention, IMC will also distribute 11424 dignity kits to women and girls of reproductive age.
On the other hand, as disasters and emergencies take an immense toll not only on people’s physical health but also on their mental health and well-being, addressing mental health and psychosocial needs is a vital part of the IMC’s work through the Psychosocial Support Services under this intervention. IMC will provide community based MHPSS services including group psychoeducation and awareness, PFA and individual counseling services with focused and scalable interventions such as brief counseling and Problem Management Plus (PM+), as well as referral to the more focused and specialized services who are in need of such services in the community.

All staff will be trained in and GBV Core Concepts amp Safe Referrals, whereas the psychosocial counselors will be additionally trained in Survivor Centered GBV Case Management. The community mobilizers/health educators will be trained on MHPSS awareness and psychoeducation topics, and the MHPSS counselors will be trained on PM+ and mental health case management. Mobile teams will provide services in the field 5 days per week.

Mobile teams will target multiple locations/villages within the given district where spaces/houses for ad hoc community-based centers are selected. Locations will be visited twice per week on a rotation basis, coordinating a prior appointment through Community Focal Points. 12-week long program of educational sessions around health and dignity kits distribution will be used as entry points to identify survivors or individuals at risk of GBV and provide care and support. After 12 weeks, new locations within selected district will be identified, and the program will be rolled out. A total of 2 rounds of 12-week-long project cycles will be organized over the course of 6 months. In total, 64 community-based Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) will be managed by 4 mobile teams and serve as temporary service delivery points. 

The project will last for six months and IMC will directly reach 30,974 beneficiaries (9292 men, 18584 women, 619 boys, 2478 girls).