"Just yesterday, she finally started to talk about that day - after almost 5 years.", our local partner psycho-therapist tells us about one of her numerous clients in Rikuzentakata. While more housings and infrastructure have been restored, the needs for mental health care services and resources in the disaster affected areas continue to grow larger. We support earthquake and tsunami survivors and care providers in their efforts to enhance the psychosocial recovery of the people in Tohoku.
When their living conditions are improved and getting close to back to normal, survivors now have more "space" to think and feel about the catastrophe that changed their lives completely and instantly. As the needs for psychosocial care continue to increase, both care providers' workload and complexity grow larger over time. Unfortunately care providers often lack the resources needed to help the mental, physical and emotional well-being of those affected by the disaster.
JISP's Healing Japan Project continues to train and support professionals of mental health, medicine, education, social work and art who provide services for the survivors. Our workshops aim to: 1. Deliver tools for care providers to utilise for their clients, 2. Give care providers the means to provide self-care to themselves, 3. Foster empowerment and support for wellbeing of care providers. This community approach aims to develop effective and sustainable care in the disaster affected areas.
As many studies show, It can take years for survivors to recover. With the tools and resources gained, the survivors will have the support to heal themselves now and in the future. Also the effective and sustainable care provision enables care providers and supporters to continue their great work.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
