Abstract
Collective Trauma refers to a population/region/country experiencing trauma due to disaster or conflict. The psychological impact as a consequence calls for large public health interventions. Such a context also necessitates service delivery within mental health services to collaborate with policy makers to have a robust system of trauma care. When a region is affected by conflict, populations are displaced and often housed in temporary shelters and camps. This includes thousands of children. These children have either witnessed or experienced violence. Many have them have lost family members or their loved ones are untraceable. There is thus loss or ambiguous loss experiences, in addition to the trauma of violence and displacement. What adds to the disruption for children is the loss of routine, predictability and safe spaces.

This presentation draws from the example of the presenters work in a conflict region which experienced sectarian violence. Thousands of children were displaced and scattered across many camps. There was a difference between the predicament of younger children who manifested trauma symptoms and older adolescents who manifested aggression and harbored feelings of retaliation. These adolescents had also been victims and witnesses of the violence. The presentation describes the nature of systemic collaborations, the strategic deployment of service providers, the nature of their training and the processes of care in the camps.

Potential to Distress: No