The MENA Prison Forum is pleased to host a session to discuss the psychosocial effects of the experience of detention in Syrian regime prisons. This session seeks to discuss and assess the basic needs of former detainees and psychosocial support in times of crisis. The session will focus on studying the reality of the pyramid of psychosocial needs based on the Syrian situation, starting with essential services, shelter, food, dignity, and human rights, and ending with providing the relevant special psychological treatment services.

The session will also highlight the approaches that should be considered. Questions will be addressed such as can we work on psychosocial support associated with somatosensory rehabilitation? What map of services can be operated on and placed in a realistic framework? What is the impact of the arrest experience on individuals in the absence of psychosocial support?

Time: Thursday, October 27, 2022, at 8 pm Beirut time / 7 pm Central European Time

Language: Arabic with English Translation. 

The subsequent discussion will be both in Arabic and English.

Deadline for registration: Wednesday, October 26, 2022, by 12:00 Midnight Beirut time.

The session will include the following speakers:

• Dr Jalal Nofal: Psychiatrist, Psychosocial Support Trainer in Crisis, MHGAP Trainer in Primary Care. He worked for five years on psychosocial support programs for Iraqi refugees in Syria
• Dr Ammar A. Beetar: He worked as a psychiatrist in public, private and currently still working in humanitarian settings, his work experience includes special focus on rape and torture survivors.
• Omar El-Sayed Youssef: Has been working independently since 2016, providing specialized psychosocial training courses on communication skills for children who do not want to communicate. In addition, he gives psychosocial support to more than 60 community workers in north-western Syria.
• Salah Addin Lakkeh: Bachelor of Psychology, trainer and supervisor in mental health and psychosocial support, work with Hope Revival NGO in MHPSS research and worked with the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability as a trainer and psychological counsellor for the documentation team, witnesses, and survivors.