Member
Care Resources
A global portal
for good practice
Member Care Associates, Inc (MCA)
© 2012 Kelly and Michèle
O’Donnell
Articles/Books Core Connections Global Calendar (TBD--collaboration) Resource Updates Tools/Training
Welcome!
This site provides links to
support member care around the world.
Section One: The five areas above with links to resources.
Section Two: The three areas below with links to resources:
MCA Global
Highlights, MCA Web Sites, International Links
MCA Global Highlights: Top 15!
April
2012—May 2012
(archived Global Highlights--click
here)
*****
New—for your work in member care and mission/aid.
(note you will need
to register on NIXTY to access the site and these materials—takes about one
minute, for free)
(training, counseling,
consulting, human resources, leadership, and management):
The Pearls and Perils of Good
Practice (2011)
by Dr.
Kelly O’Donnell
If you
are interested in growing as a person, developing your member care skills, and helping
people in difficult places, then this book series is for you!
Pearls
and Perils—volume one—launches the member care field deeper into
the international world of mission/aid.
Its
three broad emphases are designed to further support and shape good practice: History/future
directions, Health/dysfunction, Ethics/human rights.
For
information, updates, and endorsements, visit the web site for the series: Global MCA
Confronting
Corruption: Safeguards for Staff and Senders
This is an expanded
issue of the Resource
Update for Good Practice (April 2012).
It
includes 10 essential resources to help us understand, prevent, and deal with
corruption.
We
highlight key materials with representative quotes from the Christian community
and the humanitarian/business sectors.
One
caveat to really take to heart: We are far more naïve about corruption—and our
own capacity for self-deception—than we care to admit.
Further,
resources to deal with corruption are only as effective as the integrity and
skill of the people who use them.
We
encourage us all to review these materials with colleagues and to apply them in
our settings
This
Resource
Update for Good Practice (March 2012) looks at keeping our lives
healthy and productive.
The
first set of resources (faith-based) is a new book on stress management with
many tools and a related website (All
Stressed Up and Everywhere to Go).
The
second set of resources (humanitarian) lists self-assessment tools and a short
relaxation video (e.g., Managing Stress
in the Field).
Go
ahead—take time for yourself! Review your health-related behaviors and thinking
to improve your work-life balance.
This
month (February2012) in the Resource
Update for Good Practice we focus on working together in member care and in mission/aid. Our relationships with each other in
mission/aid at all levels (from individuals to partnerships) require
intentional, ongoing attention in order remain healthy and effective. We thus
offer two more sets of resources to support our relationships, emphasizing growing together (e.g., historical
excerpts in global member care on friendships and consultations) and partnering together (e.g., principles for effective affiliations).
This
month (December 2011) in the Resource
Update for Good Practice we list
ten resources to strengthen the ethical practice of member care.
The
first set of resources is for sending groups as they support their staff and as
they work in mission/aid settings (six items)
The
second set of resources is for member care workers providing
clinical-counseling care (four items).
Physical
Health—Preventing NCDs
This month (September)
in the Resource
Update for Good Practice we focus on the prevention and control of
NCDs—non-communicable diseases.
Governments,
civil society, and the private sector have been involved in an extensive
process to deal with four of the main NCDs:
cancer, cardio-vascular,
chronic respiratory, and diabetes. Four risk factors (often “lifestyle”
factors) associated with these diseases are also targeted:
inactivity (lack of exercise),
poor diet (sugars, fats, trans-fats, processed foods), tobacco use, and alcohol
abuse.
Note
that mental health and socioeconomic status—poverty—are also hugely
influential.
The
two sets of resources included are from the United Nations and the World Health
Organization.
Reviewing
and discussing resources like these can help prevent NCDs and promote healthy
lifestyles for mission/aid staff
and the people with whom they work (many who live in impoverished conditions and hence very vulnerable to these NCDs.)
(photo UN
General Assembly in, 19 Sept 2011: © 2011 KOD)
This month (September)
in the Resource
Update for Good Practice we connect further with global member care
(GMC) and global mental health (GMH).
1.
The GMC resources highlight excerpts from Global
Member Care (2011) and two upcoming MC conferences.
2.
The GMH resources feature an overview article and two MH guidelines in
development-aid.
Our
focus is summarized in a new term, proglóbity. This term combines three words that reflect good
member care practice:
probity (virtue) and ability (competence) in view of global realities.
New website! Materials to promote accountability, transparency, and
anti-corruption in the church-mission community (CMC),
including documents, analyses, and media information about the Nordic Capital
Investment KB case NCI). This web site is updated regularly
with input from consultants, fraud victims, and others committed to the
well-being/credibility of the CMC.
It also
links to a weblog for comments and discussion.
New resources on the site: Humanitarian Accountability (special issue), Humanitarian Exchange (October 2011);
Fleecing
the Flock: The Big Business of Swindling Those Who Trust You (affinity fraud,
28 January 2012), The Economist
See also the Shine the
Light---Together! online petition. It is an
international call for integrity and action regarding the NCI fraud—for
disclosures by the organizations, projects, and people affected by NCI and for
members, donors, and partners of these organizations to call for verifiable
transparency and accountability especially via internal and independent
reviews. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/shine-the-light-together/
This month (August) in
the Resource
Update for Good Practice we take a bit of a divergent route. What is
life really like for mission/aid workers?
How do they describe it? How candid can and
should people be about “hard core realities”—such as finding rest/relaxation in
the midst of human misery,
dealing as young women with
multiple marriage proposals from locals, and exposing/preventing
physical-sexual abuse in TCK settings?
The two sets of resources
(humanitarian realties—Stuff Expat Aid Workers Like etc. --and mission
realities—MK Safety net etc.)
will inform, entertain,
and perhaps at times disturb you.
This
month (June) in the Resource
Update for Good Practice we are looking at moral failure and moral
success in the context of mission/aid.
The first set of
resources focuses on personal issues (three items).
The second set of
resources focuses on organizational issues (three items).
Permeating both areas
is the need for moral competence and moral courage among leaders.
This month in the Resource
Update for Good Practice we focus on staff care for sending
organizations.
We
provide a quick overview of important issues and current thinking.
1. First we highlight
five staff care articles in InterAction’s Monday
Developments magazine (December 2010).
The
topics: Three Principles of Effective Staff Care, Growing Pains (staffing
considerations for expanding organizations),
Supporting Staff in High Risk Positions, Taking Care
of Student Interns, and Caring for Staff Who Are Also Survivors.
2. Second we report on
the staff care research by InterHealth/People In Aid
(September 2009).
The
study looked at the practices of 20 international humanitarian organizations.
(Photo: ©2009/MOD)
Operational Security in Mission/Aid
Settings
The
focus of this month’s Resource
Update for Good Practice is on operational
security management.
1. The first resource is the revised manual
from Humanitarian Practice Network (HPN)
on staff security.
This
comprehensive and updated manual is available as a free download starting 3
December 2010 at HPN.
2. The
second resource highlights materials from Crisis Consulting International (CCI).
CCI
provides training, consultation, and resources in crisis
management and security.
This
issue of the Update builds on the
theme of safety and protection from the June
2010 Update (Staying Alive in
Dangerous Places)
Photo:
Child in a rebel camp. Central African Republic. ©HDPTCAR
Would you like
to develop more skills for working effectively as a team? The focus of this
month’s Resource
Updates for Good Practice is on strong teams.
1. The
first resource
is a free online module to develop skills for team resiliency. This five-lesson
course includes short readings, brief audio lectures, discussion questions, and
a power point presentation. To view the course syllabus on Nixty (the host site): click here.
To access the entire course,
you need to sign up as a user on Nixty
(free and fast). The password for the Team Resiliency course is: strongteams.
2. The second resource lists many key
books/web links to help strengthen teams and teamwork. Here are two examples:
Project Management Memory Jogger: Pocket Guide for
Project Teams (2010, rev.),
Martin/Tate
The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams
(2009, revised edition), Ken Blanchard
This month in the Resource
Updates for Good Practice we feature two sets of resources involving
case studies.
The training day focused on
organizational perspectives for member care.
The main case looked at the
United Nation’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and how its organizational culture
influences staff well-being and operational goals.
2.
The
second set of resources briefly describes two books and links them to short
previews.
The books respectively include
brief international cases in mission (18) and brief international cases in
mental health (70 pages).
Photo
courtesy UNHCR, © UNHCR/Hopper www.unhcr.org
God in
the Global Office: Practicing Member Care in Mission/Aid
This free power point is an interactive, narrated presentation. Kelly
and Michèle O’Donnell share their experiences in member care and current/future
needs.
It is oriented for those
with member care responsibilities/interests and those studying /working in
health care fields.
Also available as an audio
download at:
http://www.archive.org/details/GodInTheGlobalOfficePracticingMemberCareInMissionAndAid
Photo courtesy IRIN ©2008 Deghati/IRIN
MCA Web Sites
Here’s what is on some of our sites.
April
2012—May 2012
Global Mental Health -Map (New)
This site lists key
resources for Global Mental Health (GMH).
It provides a "global map for a global movement" in order to:
**help us to better
understand and navigate the GMH domain better
**find relevant ways
for connecting and contributing.
The site is part of an
ongoing collaborative project to research, compile, and share GMH materials.
We welcome your
contributions and suggestions in order to make GMH-Map as useful as possible!
Be sure to see the two
brief overview articles that are linked on the site that list key resources in
GMH (Psychology International, July
2011, March 2012).
This is the site for the Global
Member Care book series, with previews, updates, endorsements, etc.
The series is designed to further equip the diversity of people with
member care responsibility around the world,
including leaders, colleagues, professional caregivers, trainers, sending groups,
and academic institutions.
Underlying all three volumes is the commitment to grow deeply and go
broadly
as we provide quality services within the mission/aid community
and in light of the major challenges affecting the world.
Volume One: The Pearls and Perils of Good Practice (2011)
Volume Two:
Crossing Sectors for Good Practice
Volume Three: Good
Practice for/from All Peoples
Series editors: Dr. Kelly and Dr. Michèle
O'Donnell
(Consulting
editors and contributors TBA for Volumes Two and Three)
CORE Member Care: Reflections
and Resources for Good Practice
This weblog is updated 3-4 times per month. The thoughts and tools are
designed to help us explore the many facets and current issues of member care. The
weblog also endeavours to help us all look into our own hearts as we further
develop our member care skills.
Previous topics: examples: transparency, resiliency, culture/diversity in international health,
safety/protection, MC history, Lausanne 3-member care, and global member care. global integration (member care and mental health).
Current topic: Global Letters for a Global
Community
Resources
for Good Practice: MCA Updates
Monthly updates on special resources to support those with member care
responsibility. Each month a few core resources are presented. The Updates are
designed to encourage us as learners-practitioners
who cross cultures, disciplines, and sectors for good practice. The Updates are archived at the Member
Caravan website. Contact MCA to be put on the recipient list: MCAresources@gmail.com
2010 Updates: January, International Issues.
February, Disasters.
March, Pornography/Addictions.
April, Global Mental
Health. May, Human
Resources. June, Dangerous Places. July, Third Culture Kids. August, Self-Care Tools. September, Great Books. October, Case Studies. November, Healthy Teams. December, Security Management.
2011 Updates: January, Grief/Trauma. February, Upgrading Staff
Care. March, Master Care. April, Mental Health for All. May, Two-Year Index. June, Moral Competence.
July, Military Care
Applications. August, Hard Core Realities. September, Exploring Global MC-MH. October, Physical
Health—Preventing NCD. November, Human Rights and
Persecution. December, Ethical Guidelines.
2012 Updates: January, Sexual
Purity and Protection. February, Working Together. March: Work-Life Balance. April, Confronting Corruption: Safeguards for
Staff/Senders.
Reality DOSE: Promoting Health in Mission/Aid
Settings
This site offers a
practical and thought-provoking article in 12 languages. It explores the
crucial topic of personal/systemic health and dysfunction. Additional links
connect you with resources for good practice, business ethics, financial
stewardship, and accountability. Impunity
for the misuse of power is not an option.
Recent Updates: 1. UN Global Compact—a
strategic intuitive for businesses that embodies 10 core principles for human
rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.
2. New book by Dr. Taryn
Vian at Boston University et al (2010): Anticorruption
in the Health Sector: Strategies for Transparency and Accountability
3. TrustLaw.
A global hub for free legal assistance in the humanitarian
assistance sector; also with news and information on anti-corruption.
4. Anti-corruption for
churches and Christian ministry (new book)
5. Several examples of
recent corruption/fraud cases including those in the Christian community.
Giants,
Foxes, Wolves, and Flies: Managing Life’s Meta-4s
This site includes an
article about four common areas of struggle and growth for mission/aid
personnel (in five languages). It also offers the CHOPS Inventory in seven languages and a few other links for free
assessment tools.
Recent Updates: 1. Link
to Human Resource Management Assessment
Tool (Management Sciences for
Health). Available also in French and Spanish.
2. Link to a great overview
of human resource management—Strengthening
HRM to Improve Health Outcomes (Management Sciences for Health).
3. Link to additional
self-care tools: Professional Quality of Life
Scale and Managing
Stress in the Field and Wellness
Inventory.
Traveling Together as
Learners-Practitioners
This site is oriented for
those who are interested/involved in member care and
international work in the health care fields, especially graduate students. The
materials include interviews, historical quotes on the integration of mental
health and missions; articles, training resources, links to other materials,
etc. Note: Caravan is also the name of a group of graduate students,
professors, and health care people in the Southern California area. They meet
regularly to share their personal experiences, discuss mental health issues
related to missions and international work, obtain training from experts in the
field, and network with other students and professionals. Contact: ashley.m.wilkins@gmail.com
Some Updates:
1. Caravan Member
Care Conference, held at Fuller Seminary, Pasadena, California, USA on 1 October 2011.
Theme: Increasing Connections for Member Care. (Note: This is the Caravan
Group’s second annual conference).
2. United
Nations Year in Review for 2011(12 minute video overview)
Online written and audio files of the 50 articles in Helping
Missionaries Grow: Readings in Mental Health and Missions (1988)
3. Online written and audio
files of the 50 articles in Helping
Missionaries Grow: Readings in Mental Health and Missions (1988)
4. Special
Training Day at Fuller School of Psychology (Pasadena, California, USA)
sponsored by Caravan. This gathering took place on 19 June 2010. It included presentations
and discussions about the impact of organizational ethos on operational objectives
and staff well-being as well as challenges of individual care in field
settings. The materials presented on organizational ethos are located on the
Member Caravan website and include teaching notes and the organizational case
study that was used from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). (click link above).
Note: These materials are available now in audio and video format for
free via Fuller School of Psychology. Click on the link above to access.
5. About 60 people met during the Mental
Health and Missions Conference (18-21 November 2010) to network and discuss
training needs/opportunities in member care for graduate students.
International Resource
Links
See also the Core
Connections section on this site.
*****
Chinese-Asia
Member Care Projects (CHAMP)
Written and audio materials including
articles, case studies, and two books.
Most of the articles are from Doing
Member Care Well (2002) and IJFM
(October 1995).
Arabic Member Care Projects
(AMP)
Written articles mostly from Doing Member Care Well (2002).
http://sites.google.com/site/arabicmembercare
Indonesia Member Care
Projects (IMP)
Written articles, handouts, seminars, personal
growth materials.
http://sites.google.com/site/indonesiamembercare
Spanish Resources (COMIBAM)
http://cuidadointegralcomibam.blogspot.com
Ethne-Member Care
Archives of updates (2006-2011) with
short articles and resources.
www.ethne.net/membercare/updates
Global Member Care Networks
Global Member Care Resources
MemCa web site, archived with materials and resources.
*****
Regional News
(contact
the emails below for periodic updates)
Africa
Asia
Member-Care-Asia@yahoogroups.com
Europe
Member-Care-Europe@yahoogroups.com
Latin
America
cuidadointegral@gruposyahoo.com.ar
This site is maintained by:
Member Care Associates, Inc
(MCA)
Providing
and developing member care resources
for mission/aid workers around the world
© 2009-2012 Kelly and Michèle O’Donnell
Click
here for more information on MCA
