Resources for managers: Re-entry

Exit interviews/Support techniques

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Humanitarian work is incredibly rewarding, but it can also be incredibly tough. It is an occupation involving exposure to a wide variety of possible stressors, which can include experiencing or witnessing violence and its after-effects; evacuations; living with social, cultural, and/or spiritual dislocation; exposure to health hazards; witnessing poverty, deprivation, and suffering; survivor guilt; and facing moral dilemmas about how and who to help.

The resources in this section were selected to inform managers and mental health professionals seeking to support humanitarian staff who are dealing with these types of challenges and traumatic experiences. There are a number of different support techniques that aim to create a safe, supportive environment to enable staff to feel free to discuss their experiences, how they are coping, and what might help as they continue to process the impact of their experiences. The cultural context and specific experiences of the impacted staff will play a large role in determining which particular techniques will be most appropriate and helpful.

Two of the most common support techniques are debriefing and exit interviewing. Psychological debriefing was designed to prepare individuals for the challenges that they may face after witnessing or experiencing traumatic events. Although it is the most common form of post-traumatic early intervention (at least in the West), debriefing remains so controversial that the following caveat is needed: managers and mental health professionals are cautioned not to assume that trauma counseling is needed after a critical incident, and should take cultural context into consideration and ascertain whether a ritual or some other support technique might not be more appropriate and effective. Exit Interviewing generally aims to provide an opportunity to process the professional (and sometimes personal) impact of the assignment, collate lessons learned, and identify next steps.

As a manager or mental health professional working amid humanitarian crises, you must be prepared to support your staff with the psychosocial issues that arise. These resources and techniques will help you do that.

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