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THREE-DAY BREAK
In a disaster relief setting and communal living environment, it’s important that we take time away for our physical and, most importantly, mental health. All staff and volunteers are required to take a three-day mental health break away from the program every month; all costs associated with this are covered by the individual taking a break. Please find some options for your break here in the local area.
For more information, see our Break Policy document.
PHYSICAL HEALTH
Volunteers should be in good physical health, as most of the work on this program will involve repetitive manual labour, often in a very hot climate. Volunteers will be encouraged to take regular breaks for rest and rehydration. However, if you have any physical limitations you may want to consider the impact manual labour will have over several weeks.
Living communally may cause its own set of challenges. Remember that frequent hand washing and good hygiene are the first line of defense in staying healthy and productive. Incoming volunteers should consult a travel medical professional for advice on vaccinations to make decisions based on their individual needs. Please consider this if you suffer from any underlying medical conditions
As we move further past the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided to relax the requirement for Covid-19 vacation for on program staff and volunteers. We continue to strongly encourage all staff and volunteers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 along with other standard and travel immunizations as recommended by the CDC and WHO. This is to help minimize the risk of requiring hospitalization during illness and to avoid taking valuable health resources away from the local community.
Testing schedules and other precautions will be determined by local program situations and needs. Standard precautions, including proper hygiene and sanitation practices, for disease prevention will continue to be emphasized across all programs.
Please familiarise yourself with our COVID-19 advice document for the most up to date information on our COVID-19 safety measures.
MENTAL HEALTH
MENTAL HEALTH
People are often viewed as mentally 'well' or 'unwell'. However, we know that mental health is NOT a static state. Rather, it is always changing along with every other aspect of our lives.
The Mental Health Continuum offers some general indicators you can use to track your own mental health and wellness. This can be used to proactively identify when you're moving away from the green end of the continuum, and steps to take at each phase.
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Your mental health is an essential part of your wellbeing. Looking after your mental health is just as important as looking after your physical health.
Working in a post-disaster environment and communal living situation is tiring and stressful. The work is full of its own rewards, but do not compromise your mental health or the safety and effectiveness of the work by ignoring your limits. To support the well-being of our hardworking global team, we provide access to mental health and emotional care services that are available to our volunteers and staff, 24/7.
WHY DO WE HAVE THESE RESOURCES?
We recognize that there are a variety of stressors that can affect your well-being while working and volunteering with All Hands and Hearts. Our aim is to provide you with the means to proactively care for yourself and access mental health support whenever you may need it.
THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU
Your mental health matters. To help make care more accessible, All Hands & Hearts has partnered with BetterHelp to remove traditional barriers to therapy and provide affordable, convenient support: all 100% online. As part of this partnership, you can access three months of free therapy to give you a strong start on your wellness journey.
In addition, we have partnered with two licensed professionals who are here to support our community:
Ana Leticia Bedwell analety.bedwell@gmail.com
A former staff member and volunteer with All Hands and Hearts, Ana brings firsthand understanding of our work and culture. She holds both Primary and Advanced training in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), which she practices as a psychotherapist. Ana supports individuals and families by providing practical strategies to manage stress, anxiety, depression, emotional eating, and other challenges that affect overall wellbeing.
Dr. Zereana Jess-Huff zereana@cogniversity.io
With more than 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Z approaches therapy with empathy and compassion, while providing patients with practical tools to build resilience and embrace life with confidence. She holds specialized training in emotional wellbeing, relationships and life transitions, physical and medical challenges, military and perinatal support, and coping with self-injurious behaviors. Dr. Z is currently licensed to practice in Texas and Florida, with additional states coming soon.
For additional information or guidance on wellbeing resources, please reach out to our Corporate Wellness Manager, Cassia McAreavey at cassia.m@allhandsandhearts.org.
Check out the Wellbeing Resource Guide to learn how to access these services while on-program. You will see this information flyer posted around base, however we also recommend printing your own copy and keeping it with your other important personal documents.
humanitarian mental health
humanitarian mental health
As a volunteer serving disaster-impacted communities, you may find certain elements of the role more challenging than others, such as the long work days & communal living environment.
If you haven't prepared yourself, these challenges may become overwhelming. To avoid this and proactively set yourself up for success, it's important to start thinking about your mental health now and how you may cope with challenges that arise. First, let's look at a few common mental health challenges that humanitarians sometimes experience in the field.
BURNOUT
BURNOUT
Burnout is a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity. In a humanitarian role, Burnout is even more likely to occur. Check out these resources to learn more about burnout.
compassion fatigue
compassion fatigue
Also called “vicarious traumatization” or secondary traumatization. The emotional residue or strain of exposure to working with those suffering from the consequences of traumatic events. It differs from burn-out, but can co-exist. Compassion Fatigue can occur due to exposure on one case or can be due to a “cumulative” level of trauma.
We've gathered a few self-care tips, tricks and tools you can use to take care of yourself on program. Check out the resources below!
We've gathered a few self-care tips, tricks and tools you can use to take care of yourself on program. Check out the resources below!
Self care means knowing who you are and your limits. It means recognizing when you are doing more than you are used to and how to slow down. It means finding a way to decompress throughout your day. Self care in essence is the mindful taking of time to pay attention to you, not in a selfish way, but in a way that ensures that you are being cared for by you.
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