Lima – The National School of Public Health (ENSAP) in coordination with the Mental Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health (MINSA), and with the support of ILO, CommonSpirit Health and ASPEm organized the 18-week Training Program for the care of child victims of violence and trafficking in persons, in order to enhance the response capacity of the staff of the Community Mental Health Centers (CSMC) and the Modules for the Health Care of Child Abuse Victims (MAMIS).

The Program helped participants build the necessary competencies for an improved mental health care, providing them with knowledge regarding legal regulations related to child abuse and trafficking in persons, as well as the application of a victim-centered perspective and a trauma-informed approach to the therapeutic processes.

Children and adolescents who are victims of trafficking in persons and abuse need specialized health services, especially those related to mental health due to the physical and psychological abuse they have suffered. Children and adolescents often suffer more than other victims because their specific needs are not made visible.

Child victims of violence and trafficking in persons generally suffer from anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and/or more severe diagnoses, as well as a greater predisposition to alcohol and drug abuse, which is why they require specialized health services, mainly those related to mental health.

The Program used a hybrid learning model (face-to-face and online classes), and was structured in 04 modules including the following contents:

• General aspects of abuse and child trafficking.
• Complex developmental trauma.
• Intervention with child victims of abuse and/or trafficking in persons using a trauma-informed approach.
• Recurrent comorbidity in cases of abuse and trafficking in persons.

Ten specialized tutors from MINSA monitored and guided a total of 132 mental health providers in the first edition of the program, which took place between November 8, 2021, and April 8, 2022.