THE Department of Health (DOH) – CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) today concluded the third batch of its face-to-face “Orientation on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for COVID-19” which targeted personnel from the Department of Education – Rizal Province including some Bureau of Jail and Management Penology officers.
“The experiences under the new normal including working from home and the online classes, can have an effect to a person’s mental and psychosocial health and it is important that educators are also able to identify these concerns among school children,” Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo stated.
“Teachers must have the knowledge to observe school children’s behavior and identify mental health and psychosocial concerns in order to provide basic psychosocial support including proper referral to specialized MHPSS services,” he emphasized.
The two-day orientation workshop focused on building capacity of teachers and other educators in the knowledge and provision of MHPSS, providing interventions that includes training teachers to observe children and adolescent’s behavior and identify mental health and psychosocial concerns, providing basic psychosocial support and referral of children and adolescents in need of specialized MHPSS services.
DEPED personnel from Rizal Province undergoes a practicum on providing psychological first aid Paulina V. Calo, Regional Mental Health Outcome Manager, who initiated the training added that building teachers knowledge skills in active listening, child-friendly communication, and children’s social and emotional development to promote all children’s healthy leads to a health learning environment in schools.
“Kailangang maunawaan at ma-prioritize ang pagkakaroon ng child-friendly, supportive and gender-equal educational environment kung saan ang mga guro at mga estudyante ay malayang makipag-ugnayan na walang discriminasyon,” she emphasized. “Hidi lamang mga estuydante ang nangangailangan ng MHPSS kundi pati na rin ang mga guro kaya importante rin na magkaroon ng regular na routine forums for psychosocial support para sa kanila upang mapangalagaan ang kanilang mental health,” she emphasized.
