A Psychosocial Support Toolkit for Social Workers

Social workers from non-governmental organisations and government services are often the first point of referral for children affected by forced displacement. They manage Child Friendly Spaces in refugee and internal displacement settlements, they handle case management of unaccompanied and separated children, they support children seeking education and health services, they help families cope in inner cities where displaced families often live in deep poverty in overcrowded and inadequate housing. Social workers can facilitate the integration of forcibly displaced families into mainstream society, promote their psychosocial wellbeing and help them to thrive but they can only do this if they have the appropriate psychosocial skills and knowledge about displacement and the diverse populations they serve.