Turkish Red Crescent Society

Who is responsible for psychosocial support (PSS)?
Disaster Response and Relief Management – Psychosocial Services Unit

Contact for PSS
Contact person 1
Serap Arscan Tomas
Phone: +90 312 2454525
Fax: +90 312 245 45 50
e-mail: serapa@kizilay.org.tr

Contact person 2
Cagla Magden
Phone: +90 312 2454525
Fax: +90 312 245 45 50
e-mail: cmagden@kizilay.org.tr / cmagden@hotmail.com

Website of the national society or PSS
http://www.kizilay.org.tr 

Field of psychosocial support at the moment

HISTORY
Following the major earthquake occurred in 1999 and caused huge devastation in Marmara Region, TRCS has built up a “Disaster Operation Center – AFON” in Ankara. There are 7 units in this Centre: Operation Unit, International Relations Unit, Disaster Planning Unit, Communication Unit and Finance Unit, Psycho-Social Support Services. As you see PS has been started after that disaster. Now we have a team working all over the country and out of the country. 12 specialists (psychologists, social workers) Headquarters in Ankara and executing activities in 3 regions also in Marmara Region, Aegeas Region, West Black Sea Region. At 2005 we integrated Social Welfare Programme through the Psychosocial Programme and after that time we named as “Psychosocial Services Unit”.

EXPERIENCES
Iraq Crisis, TRCS Refugee Camps, March 2003 / Bingol Earthquake, May 2003 / Train Crash, July 2004 / South Asia – Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, December 2004 / Pakistan, October 2005 / Bingöl Flood, November 2006 / A school bus traffic accident in Izmir, April 2007 / Ulus Anafortalo Bazar Bombing, July 2007

NOW: IN THE COUNTRY

(a) Community Center Activities (Gölcük CC, Dürce CC, Kognasli CC)

• Needs and resources assessments 
• training activities (Psychological First Aid, Community mobilization, worker support) 
• Volunteer Activities (professional / non-professional) 
• Social and cultural activities 
• Dissemination of PFI information

(b) Social Aid Activities

• Ordinary Social Aid for poor people
• East & South East Anatola Social & Psychosocial Aid Activities

(c) Elderly Activities: Guest Houses in Sisli, Edrenit, and Bostirna

(d) Worker Support Activities

(e) Regional and local PS capacity building activities

OUT OF THE COUNTRY
Pakistan: on 8th of March 2006 PRCS and TRS have committed to a 3 year program by signing MoU aiming to build capacities in PRCS in the areas of Organizational Development, Disaster management and social welfare, reconstruction – Subproject related to PS
For PRCS a PS Unit has been established in Muzaffo-abot / in Islamabad
A Community Center in Azat Jammu Kashmir
coordination of all of these activities, training the local staff, etc.
Indonesia: some duration with Pakistan
In Aceh Region
Coordinating and supporting all activities