Guidelines For Caring For Staff And Volunteers In Crises

This practical guide is designed to help managers and team leaders provide psychosocial support to staff and volunteers working in crisis settings. The guidelines recognize that humanitarian responders are themselves exposed to loss, violence, and trauma, often while responding to the very crisis affecting their own communities. Starting from the principle that organizational care improves both wellbeing and performance, the document provides step-by-step guidance on how to conduct individual and group support meetings, apply Psychological First Aid (PFA), recognize signs of distress, and know when to refer someone for specialized support. Key topics covered include the risks to staff and volunteer wellbeing across personal, interpersonal, organizational, and working condition dimensions; the Look-Listen-Link framework for PFA; how to facilitate psycho-education; promoting self-care and peer support; and handling difficult disclosures with confidentiality and care.