On Dec 16, 2015, the Institute of Community and Public Health of Birzeit University, War Trauma Foundation of the Netherlands, and the Community Based Rehabilitation program of the north of the West Bank presented the launch of the Arabic version of a jointly-produced manual for the facilitation of women's support groups using the Multi-Family Approach (MFA).
The manual consists of 3 parts, one for organizations, one for trainers, and the third for support group facilitators, and explain the Multi Family Approach, of which the central idea is that people in a difficult situation can find relief and support in being with other people who are experiencing a similar difficult situation (in the case with the CBR that is 'mothers of children with a handicap').
Particularly noteworthy in the production of the manual is that 15 CBR workers and supervisors, who had been involved in the piloting of the approach in West Bank villages, wrote sections of the manual (based on their experiences) in a special 4-day 'write-shop', conducted by War Trauma Foundation in October 2014.
The launch of the manual took place at the Medical Relief Society head quarters in Ramallah and was attended by about 200 people, amongst whom local organizations, as well as CBR workers and supervisors, and many members of the CBR mothers' support groups.
Speakers included:Dr Mustapha Barghouti, president of the Medical Relief Society; Dr Mohammad Aboushi, acting director of the CBR north program; Yoke Rabaia and Suzan Mitwalli, of the mental health unit at ICPH; Dr Relinde Reiffers of War Trauma Foundation, Dr Samia Halileh, acting director of the Institute of Community and Public Health, as well as CBR supervisors and mothers of the mothers' support groups, and representatives of local NGOs.
Copies of the manual in both English and Arabic can be accessed using link 1, link 2 and link 3