IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support

IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support
Name	IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support
Formation	2006
Type	Humanitarian organization
Headquarters	Geneva, Switzerland
Parent organization	International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support The IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support is a specialized unit within the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that develops guidance, tools, and coordination for mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies, linking humanitarian response to public health and social protection systems. It operates at the intersection of global health, disaster response, and humanitarian law, providing technical leadership to national societies, multilateral agencies, and civil society actors during epidemics, natural disasters, conflict, and complex emergencies. The Centre engages with academic institutions, donor agencies, and United Nations entities to translate evidence into practice across diverse cultural and operational contexts.

History

The Centre was established in 2006 amid growing recognition from actors such as World Health Organization, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Médecins Sans Frontières, United Nations Children's Fund, and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria that psychosocial needs required dedicated humanitarian programming, drawing on precedents from responses to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Early collaborations involved technical exchanges with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Harvard University, University of Oxford, Johns Hopkins University, and national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies including British Red Cross, Red Crescent Society of Iran, Norwegian Red Cross, and Kenya Red Cross. Over time the Centre adapted to crises such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic, the Syrian civil war, and the COVID-19 pandemic by developing operational protocols consistent with standards set by Sphere Project, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Mission and Objectives

The Centre's mission aligns with strategic priorities articulated by International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, aiming to reduce psychosocial suffering and strengthen community resilience through evidence-based interventions, policy advocacy, and capacity strengthening with actors such as European Commission Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, United States Agency for International Development, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank. Principal objectives include mainstreaming mental health and psychosocial support into emergency preparedness and response plans, supporting national societies like Philippine Red Cross and Indian Red Cross Society to implement programmes, promoting rights-based approaches consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and harmonizing practice with standards from World Health Organization guidance and IASC Guidelines.

Organizational Structure and Governance

The Centre functions as a technical hub within the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies secretariat in Geneva, governed by program leads, technical advisers, and advisory boards drawing on expertise from institutions such as King's College London, Columbia University, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Governance includes coordination with national societies, regional delegations (e.g., IFRC Africa Regional Office, IFRC Asia Pacific Regional Office), and liaison with UN clusters including the Health Cluster and the Protection Cluster. Funding and oversight have involved grant agreements with donors such as European Commission, USAID, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and philanthropic partners like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust.

Programs and Services

The Centre delivers tools, manuals, and rapid-response support across contexts, providing technical support for school-based interventions used in settings affected by earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, psychosocial components of vaccination campaigns coordinated with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and mental health integration in primary care services linked to WHO mhGAP. Services include emergency psychosocial kits utilized by Red Cross Red Crescent Movement volunteers, community-based resilience programs implemented with UNICEF and Save the Children, and bespoke support for first responders partnering with organizations like International Committee of the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. It also issues guidance for culturally adapted interventions in collaboration with national actors such as Brazilian Red Cross and Nepal Red Cross Society.

Research, Training, and Capacity Building

The Centre conducts operational research and synthesizes evidence with academic partners including University College London, Australian National University, McGill University, and University of Cape Town to inform practice on topics like post-disaster grief, trauma-informed care, and community mental health. It delivers training curricula for volunteers and practitioners, drawing on methodologies from Psychological First Aid, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy adaptations, and culturally informed psychosocial approaches evaluated through randomized trials and implementation research supported by funders such as National Institutes of Health and European Research Council. Capacity building encompasses e-learning platforms, regional workshops with ASEAN, African Union, and technical guidance tailored to contexts like protracted displacement in Jordan and Lebanon.

Partnerships and Networks

The Centre operates through an extensive network with UN agencies (WHO, UNHCR, UNICEF), academic institutions, bilateral donors, humanitarian consortia such as Humanitarian Accountability Partnership, and NGOs including Oxfam, Mercy Corps, and International Rescue Committee. It participates in global initiatives like the IASC Reference Group on MHPSS in Humanitarian Settings and collaborates with professional associations such as the American Psychiatric Association and International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies to align clinical and community-level practice. Partnership frameworks extend to corporate social responsibility programs with multinational firms and to regional civil protection mechanisms like the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

Impact and Evaluation

Impact assessments combine quantitative and qualitative methods, engaging evaluators from Independent Evaluation Group, Oxford Policy Management, and university research centers to measure outcomes related to psychosocial wellbeing, service utilization, and community resilience in settings including Haiti, Philippines, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. Monitoring frameworks draw on indicators compatible with Sustainable Development Goals related to health and wellbeing, and evaluations have informed policy shifts in national health systems and humanitarian procedures, influencing guidance by WHO and operational modalities of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. Continuous learning cycles and published case studies contribute to global evidence on scalable, culturally sensitive psychosocial interventions.

Category:Humanitarian aid organizations Category:Mental health organizations Category:International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies