Welfare program to repair mental injuries of children under guardianship

The director general of care and empowerment of children and adolescents of the country's welfare organization announced the provision of psychological and psychotherapy services, the training of trainers to support the mental health of children under guardianship.

Hamidreza Alvand, Director General of Child and Adolescent Care and Empowerment of the Welfare Organization of the country, in a conversation with Mehr reporter, said: One of the main missions of the Welfare Organization in the field of caring for children and adolescents is to protect their best interests, provide the basis for repairing mental and emotional injuries and support their all-round growth. Some of these children, due to experiences such as abuse, neglect, parental addiction or lack of an effective guardian, may have faced injuries in the field of attachment, trust and sense of security. Therefore, the care of these children should not be limited to providing subsistence needs, but psychological and emotional support should also be in focus.

Elvand continued: In this regard, the actions of the Office of Care and Empowerment of Children and Adolescents are followed in three main axes. The first is to provide a safe, stable and supportive environment in quasi-family centers and alternative families so that children have the opportunity to regain a sense of security and trust.

The director general of care and empowerment of children and adolescents of the country's welfare organization stated: the second axis is policy making, formulation of care standards and monitoring of the quality of specialized services; In such a way that psychological services and support are provided according to the needs of each child.

Referring to the third axis of this office's actions, he said: expert decision-making about the care status of each child is also of particular importance. In this process, the mental and emotional conditions of the child should be examined along with other legal and labor considerations, so that if the conditions are available, reunification with the biological family, transfer to a substitute family or continued specialized care, in accordance with the best interests of the child and in such a way as to prevent further harm to him.

Psychological assessment and provision of specialized services to children under guardianship

Elvand, in response to the question of what measures the Child and Adolescent Care and Empowerment Office has taken to improve the mental health of children under guardianship, stated: Our approach is that the care of children and adolescents under guardianship goes beyond the level of basic support and includes the psychological, emotional and social aspects of their lives. In this way, the assessment of the child's condition upon arrival and the continuous follow-up of his condition are particularly important.

Referring to the importance of psychological and cognitive evaluations of children, he added: One of the measures to be taken into consideration is the psychological and cognitive evaluation of children and the creation of a specialized file to identify their needs, records, and possible injuries. These assessments help the specialized teams to better understand each child's condition and plan services tailored to their needs.

The director general of care and empowerment of children and adolescents of the country's welfare organization considered the provision of psychological services and social work in quasi-family centers as other important axes of care and said: these services, according to the age and conditions of each child, can include play therapy, counseling sessions and individual and group psychotherapy, and life skills training, emotion regulation and impulse control.

Alvand continued: For children who face more complex behavioral and emotional problems, it is important to use more specialized psychological and psychiatric services. In such cases, referral to specialized centers and the use of medical services according to the child's needs should be on the agenda.

Emphasizing the importance of empowering the trainers and caregivers of the centers, he said: the quality of communication between adults and injured children plays an important role in feeling safe and improving their emotional state. For this reason, the training of caregivers in the field of recognizing the effects of trauma, managing difficult behaviors, correctly facing behavioral crises, and establishing empathic communication is one of the important issues in improving the quality of care.

Director General of Children and Adolescent Care and Empowerment of the National Welfare Organization noted: In general, the goal is that each child receives appropriate services based on his individual circumstances and his mental health is taken into consideration in all stages of care.

Reducing children's stay in residential centers with the development of family-oriented care

Elvand said about the future programs of the Office of Care and Empowerment of Children and Adolescents to improve the mental health of abused children and the impact of these programs on improving their lives: In future programs, moving towards family-centeredness, reducing the unnecessary stay of children in residential centers and providing life in a safe family environment is of particular importance. Of course, any decision in this field must be made based on expert evaluation, legal conditions and the interest of the child.

Referring to the development of family-centered care patterns, he added: One of the approaches of interest is the development of family-centered care patterns, including temporary care and host family within the framework of relevant criteria. A child's presence in a safe and stable family environment, if suitable for his conditions, can help strengthen emotional relationships, form secure attachment and improve communication experiences.

The director general of care and empowerment of children and adolescents of the country's welfare organization called the preparation of adolescents to enter independent life as another important issue in the future plans and said: reaching the age of 18 alone does not mean full preparation to face life's issues. Before entering this stage, teenagers should learn skills such as emotion management, coping with stress, problem solving, decision making, effective communication, and increasing self-efficacy according to their needs. These trainings can help reduce anxiety, increase self-confidence and facilitate their entry into society.

Emphasizing the importance of safe reunification of children with biological family, he said: Safe reunification with biological family is another important axis. In cases where the family's conditions have improved and the child's return is possible, it is necessary to evaluate the family's situation, advise and prepare its members so that the child's return is accompanied by sufficient support and with the lowest risk of repeating the injury.

Elvand further considered the development of electronic systems to record and monitor case information and follow up on the status of children and teenagers as other important measures and said: the continuation of supportive communication after discharge, timely identification of problems and providing the possibility of intervention in critical situations, can help sustain care achievements and facilitate the independent life of these teenagers.

In the end, the director general of care and empowerment of children and adolescents of the country's welfare organization emphasized: Our goal is that no child is a mere recipient of care services; Rather, every child and teenager, according to their circumstances, should have the opportunity to grow, have healthy emotional relationships, increase their capabilities, and build a safer future.