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Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) working groupTerms of Reference (ToR)Introduction and backgroundThe purpose of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Working Group (WG) is to address the MHPSS needs of the various populations in Afghanistan, by providing overall guidance and coordination of MHPSS services, activities, and assessments, and advocating for minimum standards and sharing of best practices. The WG adheres to the general framework of the global Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), following the IASC (2007) MHPSS in Emergency Settings guidelines, and collaborates with the Mental Health Technical Coordination Committee (MHTCC) in Afghanistan. The WG works to ensure that all stakeholders remain in line with the National Mental Health Strategy (2018-2023) (annex 1), as laid out by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (MHD), under the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). The WG maintains a commitment to emergency preparedness, inclusive programming, and a sustainable, responsible, and minimum response. All organisations, coordination bodies (e.g. other humanitarian clusters), and ministries working in MHPSS in Afghanistan are invited and strongly encouraged to regularly participate in the group. The WG intends to address the various barriers and challenges in the provision of mental health services in Afghanistan, ensuring MHPSS is prioritised and mainstreamed, as an integral component, in humanitarian interventions. The WG is established indefinitely, with yearly reviews, to redefine specific objectives and deliverables, based on the ToR. The strategic plan to achieve these objectives will be developed as a result of collaborative engagement by MHPSS WG members, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD), the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), and the MHD under the MoPH, considering organisational mandates, areas of expertise, and operational capacities. The MHPSS WG is the primary forum for coordination of MHPSS activities in Afghanistan. As such, the MHPSS WG is to be notified about any plans that UN agencies, international and national NGOs, and other bodies have with regards to MHPSS assessment and activities, to then be highlighted during the WG meetings;The National Mental Health Strategy and work plan for the country are created by the MHD with support from the MHTCC The MHPSS WG should be consulted and can support during the process, but are not the lead. The MHTCC is focused on development activities, and the integration of Mental Health into the BPHS and the essential package of hospital services (EPHS).Coordination structureThe MHPSS WG has strong links to the Protection Cluster (and Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) sub-clusters). The MHPSS WG was first established in 2017, in response to the increase in MHPSS actors in-country and the need for coordination and collaboration with the MHD under the MoPH and the MoLSAMD. The group currently responds to the MHPSS needs of all vulnerable populations, including conflict-affected people and people affected by natural hazards, including internally displaced people (IDPs), host communities, and returnees. As an initial step, the WG will be established at the capital level. Exploration and studies on the feasibility of setting up sub national level structures will be undertaken, building on the lessons learnt from the formation of the WG at the capital level.Strategic ObjectivesIdentify MHPSS concerns and capacities (gaps and strengths analysis) in Afghanistan and advocate to various stakeholders (including clusters and OCHA) for improvement in access to quality services;Improve access to and quality of MHPSS activities and services through technical support, coordination, and collaboration between MHPSS stakeholders, including government and non-governmental actors and donors;Carry out a training needs assessment, draft a training plan, and apply a unique training package for MHPSS WG members in close collaboration with the MHD under the MoPH;Ensure adherence to MoPH policies and regulations, including having official MoUs with relevant authorities, by MHPSS stakeholders in Afghanistan;Capitalise on resources, expertise, and best practices experiences by MHPSS WG members to create an evidence-base regarding MHPSS in Afghanistan to help feed into the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) process;Encourage the mainstreaming and integration of MHPSS through all sectors with a focus on the IASC (2007) MHPSS in Emergency Settings guidelines;Provide minimum standards guidance for MHPSS service provision in Afghanistan.Roles and responsibilitiesLeadershipThe MHPSS WG, as of October 2019, is chaired by Action Against Hunger (AAH), in close collaboration with the MHD under the MoPH, MoLSAMD, and Ministry of Higher Education ( HYPERLINK "" MoHE). Future selection of a co-chair will be carried out through a democratic process, with nominations, discussions, and a vote by the MHPSS WG members. The chair (and in future, co-chair) is responsible for:Representing the MHPSS WG members collectively in inter-agency, inter-sectoral, and other coordination platforms (e.g. GBV, CP sub-clusters, Protection and Health Clusters)Act as the intermediary between the MHPSS WG and other coordination mechanisms, communicating relevant information between them, reporting back to the Health and Protection WG leads;Facilitate regular MHPSS WG meetings, including the preparation of the agenda, sharing of meeting minutes, and resource and information-sharing;Facilitate the collaborative development and implementation of the MHPSS WG work plan, based on the strategic plan, ensuring joint initiatives (e.g. trainings) are well-communicated and organised effectively.MembershipMembers of the MHPSS WG will commit to regular participation in the meetings, activities, and initiatives. Organisation focal points will represent their respective organisations and will not participate in their individual capacity. All organisations are requested to send one representative to MHPSS WG meetings, and may nominate one or more focal point(s) who can attend meetings in the absence of representative, and will receive mailing list updates. Active members will be those who have MHPSS programming and regularly attend the WG meetings; observer members will be those who do not yet have MHPSS programming but may have in future, or are just interested in receiving mailing list updates (e.g. other clusters). MHPSS WG membership is open, providing members agree to the responsibilities and objectives set out in the ToR. UN agencies, including IOM and UNHCR, international and national NGOs, Red Cross and Red Crescent members (ARCS), and governmental agencies are invited to participate in the MHPSS WG. Interested parties can contact the MHPSS WG Chair with a formal expression of interest by email, which will be responded to in a timely manner. Periodic reviews will be conducted by the MHPSS WG Chair to update the active / observer members’ information.MHPSS WG minutes and information shared are considered confidential and only shared internally with MHPSS WG members. Agencies wishing to use such information for purposes other than activities of the MHPSS WG must seek the approval of the source of the information and the chair of the WG.Responsibilities of membersBriefing their organization on the recommendations and decisions of the MHPSS WG, ensuring that there are appropriate channels of information-sharing in their own agency to enable communication of information back to the WG (e.g. 4Ws mapping etc.);Effectively coordinating their programs and activities, avoiding duplication with other actors, and working towards minimum standards and best practices, within their own organisations;Active contribution of experiences, perspectives, and resources to the WG, including proactive engagement and information-sharing, as well as engagement in joint initiatives;Serve as advocates in representing the MHPSS WG perspectives when participating in inter-agency and inter-sectoral activities, and with other entities (e.g. governmental bodies) at national and sub-national level;Upholding reporting commitments in a timely manner, to humanitarian coordination bodies (such as Protection and Health clusters), governmental bodies (e.g. MHD quarterly report) and others (e.g. ReportHub);Organisations attending the MHPSS WG are committed to preserving confidentiality of beneficiaries involved in their programmes, ensuring adherence to the Do No Harm principle when sharing data. Relationship with other bodiesThe MHPSS WG aims to have a strong working relationship with coordinating bodies involved in humanitarian assistance and MHPSS, specifically:Clusters, sub-clusters, and working groups: two-way interactions with the MoHE, Protection (Child Protection, GBV, mine action), land, housing and property (HLP) cluster; Health cluster; Nutrition cluster (and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) working group); Education cluster, as well as attendance of all other clusters on a more ad hoc basis (e.g. food security and livelihoods (FSL), emergency shelter and non-food items (ESNFI), and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) clusters) to update them on the MHPSS WG activities nationally, and to hold IASC workshops in MHPSS mainstreaming through all sectors.Mental Health Technical Coordination Committee (MHTCC): close interaction with the MHTCC to avoid duplication of activities and objectives (as per the ToR, annex 2), and to bridge the gap between humanitarian and development activities through regular attendance of the WG Chair in MHTCC meetings, and a representative from the MHTCC attending the MHPSS WG meetings;Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (MHD), under the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH): direct and close collaboration regularly with the MHD on MHPSS WG members’ activities and proposed interventions and initiatives, ensuring all NGOs have relevant memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and follow MoPH policies and regulations (e.g. through the National Mental Health Strategy 2018-2023);Public Nutrition Department (PND) within the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH): in particular in relation to strengthening the evidence-base and information-sharing process with regards to mental health issues and nutritional issues (e.g. maternal depression and child nutritional status/child development);Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD): to collaborate with social workers and school counsellors, and ensure close collaboration with Higher Education Institutions;Reproductive Health Directorate within the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH): as with the PND, to ensure a strengthened evidence-base and information-sharing process with regards to mental health issues and reproductive health/gender;MeetingsThe MHPSS WG meets regularly on the first Monday of the month from 09:30 – 11:30am in the MoPH in Kabul. The chair may schedule alternative dates in special circumstances, or may call for additional ad hoc meetings to discuss specific issues or initiatives as necessary. An agenda is shared a minimum of 3 days before the meeting and brief meeting minutes, including relevant documents, are circulated within 7 days after the meeting is held, as well as resources being available online on a shared drive.AnnexesAnnex 1: Annex 2: Annex 3: \s \s ................
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