Diploma course for psychosocial volunteers

The Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry and the National Institute of Social Development, with support from The Asia Foundation, have commenced a Diploma course in counselling to train 40 psychosocial volunteers working with the Internally Displaced Persons in Vavuniya, the National Institute of Social Development stated in a press release.

The US Agency for International Development and the European Commission are providing funding to train 40 psychosocial volunteers currently working in the North. Another 100 officers from non-governmental organizations and government officers working in the North and East are also participating. The Diploma course is expected to produce trained counsellors and enhance the skills of those already working in the psychosocial sector. The Asia Foundation worked with the Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare and the National Institute of Social Development to design a program that would specifically meet the needs of Vavuniya-based counsellors.

The Vavuniya-based course is modelled after the regular 18-month diploma course provided by the National Institute of Social Development in Colombo. Lecturers from the National Institute are the lead resource persons, ensuring consistent quality of instruction. The outreach course will be 12-months duration as the Vavuniya-based participants have considerable experience working in the psychosocial sector in the North. However, the program continues to include the required 288 classroom hours and 144 hours for field work experience needed for a Diploma.