Psych group conducts facilitators confab in handling drug users

The national government’s war on drugs has resulted in a substantial number of drug-surrenderees in local communities.

The Xavier Ateneo Psychology Department and the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) saw the need to capacitate local health leaders to handle a community-based relapse drug prevention program.

To this end, PAP and XU-Psych organized a four-day facilitators’ training on basic counseling and facilitation, and a workshop on Katatagan Kontra Droga sa Komunidad comprised of 12 individual modules and three family modules.

The training was designed for community facilitators with experience in facilitation and counseling with behavioral science undergraduate background (psychology, nursing, and social work, among others).

Meanwhile, the workshop was interactive, with the use of videos, worksheets, and simulations. Participants were asked to simulate facilitating a module and serve in small-group discussions.

The goal of the program is to train community facilitators—local government unit officers, barangay health workers, and community leaders—to teach drug-surrenderees life-skills to prevent relapse on illegal drug use.

The goals and components of community-based drug treatment interventions were also introduced to the participants.

A total of 60 participants from Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Surigao, Cotabato, and Davao attended the said event.

XU-Psych remains committed to the vision-mission of the university by being responsive to the issues confronted by the different communities of Mindanao, particularly on issues related to peace, mental health, and well-being. (xu comm)