PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTION STRUCTURE IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF RAFINAS-PIKERMI AND MARATHONA
The Fire Psychosocial intervention Structure operated in collaboration with the National Center for Social Solidarity in order to cover extraordinary and urgent support services for individuals, families or vulnerable population groups that passed into crisis status due to the fire of July 23, 2018 in the Municipalities of Marathon, Rafina and Pikermi.
Local
Greece
Rafina-Pikermi and Marathon ( Region of Attica)
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
ESF : European Social Fund
The Structure was staffed with a psychologist, a social worker and an administrative officer. The Structure operation covered a wide range of services, which included informing residents about actions, sponsorships, donations and services offered by both institutional bodies and associations, individual volunteers, the networking of individuals and organizations. The aim of these services was the direct mediation on behalf of the beneficiary, or by referring the participant to a competent body, as well as counseling and psychological support for the residents of the fire affected areas. Since the start of operation the structure has offered 16,561 general services to approximately 4,000 beneficiaries.
No
Yes
2020-10-21
As an individual
First name: Stylianos Last name: Gekas Gender: Male Nationality: Greece Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Sina 11 Town: Athens Postal code: 10680 Country: Greece Direct Tel:+30 21 0922 0430 E-mail:ptapatt@patt.gov.gr Website:https://www.social-network.gr/
After the devastating fire of July 2018 in the Municipalities of Marathon and Rafina-Pikermi, which left almost 100 people dead and caused significant damages, a Structure of direct intervention was established in order to support the fire victims in the seaside Athens resort of Mati. The “Psychosocial Intervention Structure for the Fire Victims in the Region of Mati” started its operation in an Isobox and afterwards was relocated in a more appropriate place, so as to provide its services more efficiently. The Structure was staffed with a psychologist, a social worker and an administrative officer and provided a wide range of services, such as informing residents about actions, sponsorships, donations, allowances and services offered by both institutional bodies and associations, volunteering and the network of individuals and organizations. The aim of these services was the direct mediation on behalf of the beneficiary or the reference of the participant to a competent body, as well as counseling and psychological support for the residents of the areas affected by the fire. Since the start of its function, the Structure has offered 16.561 general services to approximately 4.000 beneficiaries. The aim of the Structure was the transition to regularity for fire victims so as the operation of "Immediate Intervention Structures" are short term.
Fire
Structure
Psychosocial
Beneficiaries
Intervention
The fire that took place in the seaside Athens resort of Mati on July 23, 2018 had a negative impact in different aspects of residents’ daily life. Crisis management is considered as an indispensable condition of sustainability in a society. A crisis has serious effects on physical and mental health, but also on functions and behavior of those affected. The physical and emotional recovery process following a fire can be lengthy.
Common effects include intense anxiety, fear, uncertainty, emotional distress, physical discomfort and mental health problems associated with the trauma. Hence, social interactions in the community of the designated disaster area are affected, necessitating an immediate response by the state. Psychosocial intervention aims to reduce the psychological, psychosomatic and psychosocial symptoms or signs of maladjustment of the individual due to the severe and catastrophic events.
The key objectives of this Structure in terms of social sustainability have been met through a people-centered process of recovery from the fire and coping that focused on the people who survived and in particular on vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities and the elderly.
The overall goal of the Structure was to support residents to continue their lives under these difficult circumstances. During its short operation, the Structure managed to demonstrate a remarkable work and recorded a high rate of effectiveness in its services to the beneficiaries.
It is a fact that the healing of mental wounds is an overlooked parameter, whose importance is often underestimated despite the fact that it is crucial for the post-fire recovery phase. The Structure in the Region of Mati contributed in the psychosocial rehabilitation of the residents through targeted actions at individual, family and community level, in collaboration with the Community Centers of fire-affected or neighboring Municipalities.
The Structure was not only a space for the psychosocial support of the fire victims, but also a place where they could share their stories and experiences related to the fire.
From May 2019 to May 2020, a total of almost 154 individuals or families were supported by the psychotherapeutic work of the Structure in more than 500 sessions. The staff of the Structure held awareness events related to stress and anxiety in schools and associations in the area which was affected by the fire and ran parenting schools with the main aim of managing their fears, anxiety and panic attacks due to the fire. Through the parent groups personal needs were met, parents were informed about the possible reactions of their children and they were supported to work through the stages of mourning that the loss brings, whether it was tangible or symbolic, so that they could adapt to the new condition.
The key objectives of this intervention Structure were the sharing and processing of thoughts and feelings regarding the fire, the open dialogue and meeting of the members and finally their empowerment and reinforcement.
From the evaluation process of the Psychosocial Intervention Structure, it was concluded that its implementation has left its positive mark on the participants, because the majority of them would suggest the services of the Structure to other people.
After the devastating fire of July 2018 that took place in the Municipalities of Marathon and Rafina-Pikermi, the Regional Development Fund of Attica decided to intervene directly through the Structure “Social Network”, which was the management tool . As far as inclusion is concerned, the main objectives of the Structure were to provide free and open services to all people and especially to the fire victims.
The Structure’s initial purpose was to be located in a place that would be accessible to all fire victims. After due consideration, it was decided that the most appropriate place was the Region of Mati, which was the area with the most victims. Furthermore, it was easily approached by public transport.
Secondly, the Structure aimed to provide necessary services for free in the fire victims. Among its services was the counseling and psychological support for the residents of the fire affected areas, as well as the referring of the participants to a competent body. The visitors of the Structure were adequately informed, became competent for the interaction with other bodies and were helped by receiving the offered services.
The Structure constitutes an example of best practice because it was created immediately after the tragic incident and its services were free and open to all fire victims. In its short period of operation, the Structure has managed to demonstrate a remarkable work, as a total of 599 people have been benefited, including 62 families, according to the evaluation process.
The aim of the Structure was to help fire victims to return to their normal routines of everyday life. The citizens were involved in the Structure by receiving the provided services for free, such as counseling, psychological support and referring of the participants to a competent body. The citizens played the role of the beneficiaries in the Structure.
The Structure had a positive impact on the citizens. According to the assessment that was performed at the last year of the Structure’s function in order to evaluate the provided services, the majority of the beneficiaries answered that they were really helped by these services. In particular, they were very satisfied:
1) By the general operation and service
2) With the extent to which their expectations were met after visiting the Structure
3) With the premises of the Structure for individual and group meetings
The civil society had a close interaction with the Structure, as it contributed to the finding of the appropriate place according to the needs of the beneficiaries and also cooperated with the Structure so as to help the fire victims fulfill their basic needs.
The National Centre for Social Solidarity and the Regional Development Fund of Attica (“Social Network” Structure) of the Attica Region established the “Psychosocial Intervention Structure for the Fire Victims in the Region of Mati”. In particular, the scientific monitoring of the Structure was undertaken by the National Centre for Social Solidarity and the administrative supervision of the Structure was performed by the Regional Development Fund of Attica of the Attica Region through the Structure "Social Network" which was the management tool, funding by the European Social Fund "Regional program of Attica 2014-2020".
With the intention of the Regional Development Fund of Attica to carry out a strategic plan and implement an integrated program of actions in the direction of the optimal utilization of its resources, it aims at promoting the comparative advantages of Attica Region.
The objectives of National Centre for Social Solidarity are the coordination of the network of social care services of Greece and the provision of immediate social and psychological support services to individuals, families and vulnerable population groups who are going through a crisis or are in a state of emergency.
Both of the above parties signed a memorandum of cooperation so as to establish the “Psychosocial Intervention Structure for the Fire Victims in the Region of Mati”. Individuals and families were supported by the psychotherapeutic activities and advisory actions.
The fire that broke out in the Region of Mati had devastating consequences on the mental health of the residents. The Structure which was implemented in the area aimed to contribute to the reintegration of residents through various practices. The opportunity to attend for free one-on-one sessions or group meetings, as well as the systematic monitoring of the mental health of fire victims provided considerable scientific knowledge and expertise regarding how to approach victims in similar cases.
The networking practices which were used and the promotion of the Structure were crucial so as the Structure would be accessible to everyone and therefore help as many as possible fire victims. In such catastrophic incidents, the approach to the victims must be very careful due to the fear and anxiety that they experienced at that time.
The Structure aimed to meet the needs of the fire-affected areas. Before the completion of the Structure an assessment was made in order to appraise the quality of the offered services during the operating period of the Psychosocial Support Structure. The participants of the survey were the beneficiaries of the Structure. The aim of the research was to evaluate the provided services, to draw conclusions and develop empirically based proposals for reorganization and improvement. The research was conducted in the period from 05.07.2020 to 31.07.2020. The main conclusions of the research were the following:
1) The 74,4% of the respondents are very satisfied and completely satisfied / extremely satisfied with the modern infrastructure of the Structure and 88.4% are very satisfied and completely satisfied / extremely satisfied with the Structure’s premises for individual and group meetings
2) The 93,2% of the participants answered that they would recommend the services of the Structure to friends and acquaintances.
Crisis management focuses on reducing the negative effects that occur during the evolution of the crisis and limiting the scope of its impact. For this purpose, in the context of planning an effective crisis management, all the necessary actions were carried out by the co-competent bodies at central, regional and local level, based on the responsibilities of each one, for the creation and operation of a structure which would provide psychosocial and administrative support for the convenience of the residents of the Municipalities of Marathon and Rafina-Pikermi. Consequently, the Psychosocial Intervention Structure filled an important gap in terms of support for the fire-affected residents in the Municipalities of Marathon and Rafina-Pikermi.
The innovative character of this Structure lies in the fact of rapid intervention in a crisis situation, in the context of planning and implementing operational action to provide psychosocial support and advice to vulnerable groups. Furthermore, this was the first time that the cooperation between the bodies and sectors in charge at central, regional and local level was effective and able to deal with the devastating consequences of the fire. Moreover, during the Structure an in-house electronic platform was developed so as the needs of the fire-affected would be recorded and consequently conveyed to the competent bodies by the staff of the structure for their effective confrontation.
The intervention during a crisis (crisis management) refers to a set of actions that includes the recognition of a crisis, the timely planning and appropriate preparation for the management of the consequences of the crisis, the setting out of the interventions and their implementation, as well as their evaluation before, during and after the crisis. In December 2018, on the occasion of the fire of July 23, 2018, in the Region of Mati, the National Center for Social Solidarity proceeded to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Attica Regional Development Fund of the Attica Region, for the establishment and operation of a Psychosocial Support Structure for the Municipalities of Marathon Rafina - Pikermi. The primary objective was the development of a new strategic plan, which would include an integrated program of actions and specialized social interventions, to address emergency and urgent needs at local level for the affected areas. In the context of the above Memorandum of Cooperation, it was deemed appropriate - among other things - to ensure the provision of social and psychological support to individuals and families affected by the fire. For two years, the Psychosocial Support Structure in Mati addressed, served and helped fire victims of the municipalities of Marathon and Rafina - Pikermi. During its operation, the Structure sought to cover a wide range of services to the residents of the fire-affected areas, such as informing them about the existing support measures, providing help related to the bureaucratic procedures, as well as counseling and supporting them psychologically.
The correct and timely intervention and action on behalf of each organization shields it and protects people. The mechanisms which were activated in different sectors in the Region of Mati could be replicated or transferred to other areas where emergency crises may occur in order to set out more suitable management axes and measures for the next crises. During the operation of the "Psychosocial Intervention Structure”, they were created and adopted practices and mechanisms that can be used in other places with corresponding emergency incidents.
Initially, an in-house electronic platform was developed, in which the number of beneficiaries, sessions, referrals and other information were registered. The daily records on the platform made the monitoring procedure easier and resulted in the efficient management and operation of the Structure. The methodology that was applied in order to set up the platform can be used as well in other projects with similar objects and aims.
Furthermore, it is remarkable that for the first time two bodies which belong to different institutional frameworks pulled together and signed a memorandum of cooperation. The National Centre for Social Solidarity is a Legal Entity of Public Law of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, while the Regional Development Fund of Attica of Attica Region is a Legal Entity of Private Law.
Additionally, during the operation of the Structure, an approach of periodic individual, group and family meetings was adopted in order to be achieved greater efficiency in a shorter period of time. The Structure had a specific time frame for action, since all the mechanisms of this type are short-term because the aim of its operation is the transition to regularity for fire victims .
The Region of Mati was one of the most graphic, beautiful and emerald seaside spots of Attica, which was destroyed in less than twelve hours. The fire which broke out early in the afternoon of July 23, 2018 consumed 102 men and women, children and elderly people, as well as animals and injured about 250 people. Many animals (wild and domestic) died or were injured due to the fire. Thousands of vehicles and houses were destroyed before the fire was brought under control hours later. Approximately 2.500 houses were either burned to the ground or damaged. Today, almost half of the houses are habitable again. The fire at Mati is the second-deadliest wildfire of the century after the 2009 bushfires in Australia, which killed 173 people. It is also counted as the sixth-deadliest in the last 100 years.
The emergency incident that took place in the Region of Mati occurred under extreme meteorological conditions and showed extreme fire behavior, rendering ineffective the effort made to contain and control it. Environmental conditions similar to those that led to the deadly fire in Mati should not be ruled out in the near future, as climate change confronts us with a new reality of extreme forest fires, which can easily exceed suppression capabilities, regardless of the abundance and technology of the available forest firefighting means. Considering this new reality, the goal should be to highlight the important role of better management of extreme fires of the present and the future. In this context, the Structure gave us scientific knowledge that has been transformed into mechanisms and measures whose adoption can significantly contribute to better and more comprehensive management of the consequences of fires on citizens. In this direction, corresponding structures staffed with scientists such as psychologists and social workers is expected that they will provide appropriate support to fire victims.
