ICRT has 30 years’ experience in responding to the needs of people and communities affected by conflict in Northern Ireland. This included direct work with communities and people affected by violence, the development of unique and locally sensitive psychosocial and evidence-based therapy services and programme to address need, the development of policy for people affected by conflict, research and audit, and mental health training development. ICRT can assist those concerned with effective responses to needs arising from conflict and war such as:
- Governments, service commissioners and funders
- International agencies, NGOs and independent Trusts and Foundations seeking to provide an effective response to local needs
- Local service providers, practitioners and community leaders
- Standards, regulatory and training agencies.
Our strategic capabilities
We can share our extensive experience by:
Developing, coordinating and working in partnerships with agencies, donors and communities to develop needs assessments of communities affected by conflict or war, and associated research programmes.
Using health and social innovation approaches to help partners design and build a comprehensive system of mental health and psychosocial support to address locally identified trauma-related needs, including in areas where there is high need and low resources, or high need and high resources. ICRT can also provide guidance and support for emergency responses to disaster situations.
Strengthen or create supports at multiple layers, designed to link specialized practice and therapeutic protocols with existing community-based supports.
Advising politicians, policy makers, commissioners of services and funders operating in conflict and post-conflict settings on how policy and commissioning can respond to the mental health needs arising from conflict. This is with a view to ensuring that mental health is a key component of the peace-building endeavour so that those adversely affected, vulnerable and marginalised can be supported in becoming stakeholders in the emerging post-conflict society.
Helping public agencies, universities and community service providers to develop trauma-focussed workforce plans and appropriate training programmes. This could include auditing and evaluating existing mental health service workforces (public, NGO and others) and service capabilities.
Strengthening effective leadership and governance for trauma-related mental health at policy and service commissioning levels within governments and NGOs. This will include supporting the development of governance products and clinical arrangements, service standards and quality assurance expectations, service and intervention protocols, and monitoring and evaluation techniques and systems.
Helping funders to develop evidence-based funding and commissioned programmes for trauma related mental health. ICRT can also assist funded organisations with their theories of change, and support them to put in place sustainable area-based and locality specific services with bespoke audit and evaluation tools. We can help donors and service providers to put in place effective monitoring, reporting and intervention outcomes upon which to assess the impact of programme funding and service delivery.
Identifying funding sources and building application and delivery partnerships to carry out innovative trauma-related research, service delivery or training developments.
Contributing to the global conversation through the ICRT website and other opportunities and media by developing research and practice partnerships that will connect peace building theory and practice on the one hand, with trauma-related theory and practice on the other.
