How we support the mental wellbeing of our response teams

At ShelterBox our response teams deploy all over the world. We support people in need of emergency shelter when conflict, climate crises and events like earthquakes mean returning home isn’t an option. We have a duty of care to the people we support, as well as our own staff and volunteers. Encouraging a positive work life balance and supporting wellbeing across our organisation is crucial. That includes our teams responding to disasters, when pressure can be heightened.

That is why for the last 10 years we have been providing psychological support for response team members who have experienced a traumatic event. We do that using a trauma focused peer support system known as TRiM. This originated in the UK Armed Forces, and is now used more widely. It helps to monitor and support people’s wellbeing and mental health through structured conversations. Our TRiM team has provided support following road traffic collisions, and earthquake aftershocks.

When our teams are deployed to support disaster affected people, the heavy workload, challenges from operating in disaster affected regions, and potential exposure to traumatic events make poor mental health more likely. It’s the same across the humanitarian sector. Often, affected communities will have lived through a harrowing experience. Our response teams are not immune to indirect trauma. Hearing what communities have been through and seeing destruction can have an untold impact.

Someone’s first time in these types of environments can be quite a shock. On the other hand, those that have experienced many similar situations can struggle with the cumulative effects.

On top of that, long working days, sometimes illness, and navigating unfamiliar working environments can make it harder for people to process trauma and recover from it.

We take a people-centred approach to wellbeing. TRiM gives us the tools to support in this way following a potentially traumatic event, including on deployment. Everyone who deploys for ShelterBox receives a debrief with a trained TRiM practitioner either one-to-one or in a group. This is regardless of whether trauma is reported or not. It means people who may need support don’t feel singled out. It also gives our teams the opportunity to talk to a colleague rather than friends and family, which evidence suggests can be less effective and more challenging.

We aren’t able to offer affected communities support with their own wellbeing because of our capacity and focus on emergency shelter. But we are mindful of it. Our teams listen actively. We are mindful not to retraumatise individuals in conversations – including in content gathering. If there are serious concerns, we would work with our partners and stakeholders to ensure signposting to relevant services.

We have more than 20 trained TRiM practitioners across the organisation. They have all undergone thorough training with an organisation called March on Stress. They are trained to spot signs of distress in people that may otherwise go unnoticed and signpost people to additional support. The training is evidence based and regularly reviewed and updated with the support of three in-house managers.

A TRiM response is designed to work with senior leaders and involve them. It does so while maintaining the confidentiality of individuals risk assessed. Our CEO went through a TRiM debrief following his first deployment. Along with other senior leaders he supports us to ensure people across the organisation are aware of the support available.

TRiM is embedded in our critical incident plans, and we carry out exercises with senior leaders to enable this understanding and prepare for worst case scenarios.

We talk openly across ShelterBox about the support that we offer and the reasons for it, including through e-learning. This is mandatory for all deployable staff and volunteers. As such people exposed to trauma know what support is available and how to access it. It can also help break down the stigma associated with poor mental health. Counselling and additional wellbeing support can be sought through our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). This is confidential, free and available 24/7.

Aside from trauma, but with wellbeing in mind we also have a team of mental health first aiders. Some have completed Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). They support colleagues with day-to-day stressors. This can include common mental health issues, self-care, and coping strategies.

We provide support to other organisations newer to their TRiM journeys. As part of this we offer advice on how we have implemented it at ShelterBox and share how it has worked well for us.

Our core values at ShelterBox are integrity, flexibility, participation, and learning. TRiM helps us hold ourselves accountable for doing the very best we can, not only for those we support, but also one another. It helps us adapt and overcome challenges, support one another, while looking at how we can continue to improve our ways of working.