The full and official name of this project, which is supported by NATO Science for peace and Security Program, is “Share CSPC knowledge, methods and practice with SILK countries”. In this site’s pages a shorter expression is sometimes used “Empowering Psychosocial staff in Silk Countries” or just “the current project”.
The current project takes advantage of technologies and infrastructure which have been developed for another NATO supported project named “Virtual Silk Highway” which is abbreviated sometimes to just “Silk Highway”.
The Virtual SILK Highway project, which the current project uses its infrastructure and technologies, brings highly cost effective, global Internet connectivity to the Caucasus and Central Asia through state-of-the-art satellite technology, telecommunication (including videoconferencing) and GEANT - thus creating a virtual SILK information highway.
The main goal of the current project is to establish Local Trauma Prevention Centers (LTPCs) and supply professional psychological services to the population in each participant country.
The aim of the current project is to increase significantly the exchange of information with, and between, academic and educational institutions in these regions.
This unique project intends to harness the Silk Highway Project technologies such as telecommunication infrastructure as a solid base of network for Silk countries’ psychologists, using internet portal, distance e-Learning units, internet forums and web based step-by-step guide.
Terrorism as a global threat, earthquakes and other manmade or nature made disasters may happen and affect individuals and communities in the SILK countries. Unfortunately terrorizing activities are in many cases meant to intimidate and control the free flow of communication and information; some other disasters can affect the communication channels as well.
As a result of this project, built upon the NIG/Silk infrastructure, the SILK community can serve as virtual support and advice providers to members whose area is hit by such disasters. In this way the current project will serve as a network of hope and support to areas otherwise disconnected from knowledge and skills to mitigate and cope with such catastrophes.
The integrative resiliency model (BASIC Ph) that has been developed by CSPC, is applied successfully in Israel and worldwide over 25 years, by therapists in various security forces branches, in the education system, in the health and welfare systems in the government and municipal services and also through training of local professionals. It was applied in Turkey, after the 1999 earthquake, in the USA after 9/11, in Beslan, Russia 2004 following the terrible massacre in the school there and in South East Asia following the tsunami in December 2004. Over the past quarter century the CSPC has branched out into stress treatment programs and consultation for companies and communities wishing to become better equipped to deal with psychological/sociological coping in all aspects of life. To date, thousands of professionals both in Israel and world wide have been trained in the integrative resilience model “BASIC Ph” and in various other techniques that develop individual, family, group, system, organization and community coping skills.
Project’s Milestones: Please note that although activities #1 and #3 are not included in the NIG application and are submitted separately (ASI, ARW/ ANW), nevertheless they are integrated with the NIG project, as they are closely coupled.
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Order
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Activity
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1
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Organize three-day workshop in Istanbul, mainly for First Responder psychologists from all of the current project countries (will be submitted separately). The workshop will be based on feedback collected from participants through questionnaire submitted before the workshop. The questionnaire will include questions about local types of threats and disasters and current coping methods. The feedback will be analyzed by CSPC experts and will be an important input for the final professional design of the workshop.
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2
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Characterize and design bi-lingual content (gathering from books, articles, seminars etc.) for the coping with the psychological/social aspects of trauma/terror/crisis/disaster. Will be done with external consultants and the assistance of translation services.
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3
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Organize two weeks course (ASI) in Israel for the current project participants (psychologists) and researchers/psychologists from NATO countries/partners. The course will discuss the latest findings and the CSPC methods and practice and will be based on the characterization and the ARW/ANW workshop (see above. The ASI proposal will be submitted separately).
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4
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Use outsourcing experts for writing the specifications for ordering two e-learning units for participants and LTPC’s experts, and then order the development of these units according to the specifications. The units will preserve and maintain the ASI course’s and the ARW workshop’s content in the following subjects from the psychological/social point of view:
1. Coping with terrorism effects on the individual and the community.
2. First Responding to disasters, crisis and trauma.
Each of the units will include a general part plus a country-specific one
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5
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Develop the internet bi-lingual content program dealing with the psychological/social implications of trauma as result of terror/crisis/ disaster, (based on the material collected in #2 above). Each additional language will be accompanied by outsourcing e-learning experts.
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6
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Develop in Israel bi-lingual (English & Russian) internet step-by-step guide for psychologists and social workers on how to: create support methods, operate and first respond in disaster, and teach LTPC to treat the population.
Translation to other languages will be done locally. The guide will include guideline on how to create and operate the LTPC as well.
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7
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For the sake of participants and later for LTPC’s members - Develop methods and content for a forum supporting the psychological/social aspects of trauma implications as a result of terror/crisis /stress/trauma - will be based on needs and on CSPC`s knowledge.
The forum members will be exposed to new methods, articles and CSPC’s experience. Issues raised by the forum members will be discussed in the forum as well.
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8
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Based on the content and methods developed for a supporting forum - Establish a separate bi-lingual internet forum/discussion portal for first psychological/social aid in cases of terror, trauma and disaster. The forum portal will take advantage of videoconferencing and Silk Highway telecommunications infrastructure. The forum members will benefit from articles, presentations and discussions with CSPC experts.
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9
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Portal/ Content/ Forum/step by step guide/ distance e-Learning units’ maintenance and modifications. This is required for initial operation for the participants and later for the LTPCs. Requests and feedback will be collected systematically and will be used for improvements, modification and updating data).
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10
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3 day training for how to maintain distance e-Learning units, forums and the other sections of the internet portal.
Final training for staff of LTPCs` to allow them maintain themselves and to create new units and content. At the end of the training participants will receive a certificate and a farewell final copy of the e-Learning units plus content developers` manual to take home.
Prerequisites for trainees are basic knowledge in personal computers, Internet surfing, Office and English.
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