Arts Therapy Clinic-Children in Crisis-CAMBODIA

Foster Parents Capacity Building and Support Programme

Ragamuffin Cambodia is an INGO delivering Creative Arts Therapies, training and supervision in partnership with organizations in Cambodia. Ragamuffin is committed to the relief of emotional pain and psychological damage in children and adults. We work together with those who bring such relief to people who suffer.

In Cambodia, Ragamuffin has been working with M’Lop Ruessey (MLR) and previously with ICC/SKY since 2004, designing, delivering and evaluating Creative Arts Therapy, clinical supervision and staff support programs to build the capacity, empower and support those who work with emotional and psychological distress and trauma.

Be-Yourself is the Cambodian led Clinical Arts Therapy Service in Ragamuffin. Since 2012 Be-Yourself has been working closely with MLR delivering arts therapy for children and adolescents in crisis, multi- disciplinary team case working with social workers and support staff, along with support and de-briefing with foster carers. As Institutionalised care in Cambodia moves towards community led care, foster carers will be increasingly needed for short and long term placements of care leavers. Their support, capacity development is essential in providing effective care as they create family environments for young people.

MLR are currently supporting families who have been offering emergency foster care to vulnerable children. Those children were transitioned from the different orphanages that were legally shut down by Cambodian’s government. So far, those families are working closely with MLR in providing physical, psychological, and social care to the children before they will be reintegrated back to live with their families or transitioned to live with other long-term foster families. Serey Samchet from the Be-yourself Arts Therapy team is providing therapeutic de-briefing, capacity building and social worker case support for these families.

Outcomes:

The creative process helped the foster families to begin to consider their needs in order to support themselves and children more effectively.

“ This is the first time for me to begin to see what I need for my work with children…by receiving more support this will help me and other foster families to build more confidence in supporting vulnerable and traumatised children”(Foster Parent)

“I feel so grateful with this opportunity as it is so helpful for me to realize that it is so important for me to learnto seek support for myself and children when I find myself feeling so overwhelming in dealing with problems and situations that are beyond my capacity to handle it. For example, if there is any child struggling with mental health issues, she may need a therapist, now I know I can refer children to get professional support – I feel so relieved” (Foster Parent)

The foster parents reported a significant decrease in their levels of anxiety and an increase of self-esteem by reflecting and being together as a group. They were able to learn from each other’s experiences and so deeply inspire each other. As a result, their sharing helped them to identify the similarities, difficulties, values, and helpful ways to handle problems.

“After hearing the challenges and positive things that other foster families have shared to the whole group, I found them to be so inspirational and I began to feel connected and realize that I am not alone in struggling the everyday difficulties in caring for vulnerable children” (Foster Parent)

‘Giving Gratitude’

“It is the first time for me that I felt the deep connection as we shared with each other as foster parents and I am so excited to learn and exchange my experiences with other foster families which I found it so inspirational and beneficial“ (Foster Parent)

“I have never been asked to consider things that I need to thank myself for before. It is the first time in my life to feel so deeply touched and see how much I have contributed mysupport to the children, family, and society, it really helps me to realize that I am important and I do not need to be perfect to be important” (Foster Parent)

Be-yourself – continues to support foster carers, social workers and vulnerable children in crisis in partnership with NGO’s such as MLR.

Thank you for taking time to read this and showing your support for Ragamuffin Cambodia and the mental health of those most in need.