Psychosocial Care for Families
Palestinian families face a number of challenges both socially and politically. These challenges not only leave physical injuries but also psychological wounds that can directly impact the family structure and home life in a number of ways. Trauma is part of a collective experience within the Palestinian society and therefore seeking formal support can be perceived as unnecessary and stigmatized. Additionally, not all families are in a financial position to receive support. The family then takes on the weight of providing social support, and this informal kin-based support system can place a strain on the family and its members and may not be using the most effective strategies.
This family empowerment program aims at establishing a positive family structure through the following specific objectives: to provide parents with information on family issues, to promote knowledge about trauma and its consequences, to highlight the effect of violence on the family, to enhance a formation in the parent-child relationship based on respect, empathy, and to promote healthy non-violent communication skills, and to assist children in reducing their level of aggression.
Through family-centered psychosocial care, parents acquire strategies to enhance a non-violent problem-solving approach and strengthen capacity. Furthermore, parents can better understand their own and their children’s trauma-related symptoms and behaviors, and are equipped with strategies in dealing with them.
Young Couples Awareness Program
Family is the center of society, therefore it is important to create a solid foundation for marriage. The idea behind the “Young Couples Awareness Program” is to ensure marital success and to reduce the high rates of divorce in the Palestinian community. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), there were 8006 cases of divorce in 2020.
This program targets young people planning to get married. The themes of the program take into account the religious, psychological, social, financial, and medical dimensions. The goals of this program are: to raise awareness about the importance of selecting a suitable partner and the rights and duties of both parties, to underline the neccesity of medical tests before getting married, to address marital problems and provide strategies on how to resolve them, to promote knowledge about trauma and its consequences, to highlight the effect of violence on the family, to emphasize the importance of non-violent communication approaches, to stress on the importance of mental health as an integral part of our general health, and to highlight the benefits of an organized family financial budget.
The overall objective of the project is to establish a positive family structure through approaches and skills that specifically suit to meeting family needs, enhance healthy family structures, and ensure family stability.