In response to the COVID19 pandemic, the South Africa HIV ATTC team has developed multiple products to support our partners and constituents during this time. Our ATTC is well-positioned to continue supporting people with off-the-shelf products and our virtual trainings and technical assistance remain available. The below exercises detail self-care techniques as well as guidance on conducting and facilitating engaging online meetings. Though these products are geared towards healthcare providers, they are widely applicable.
Self-Care Series
The South Africa HIV ATTC has created these one-page exercises to serve as a guide to self-care:
- Reflection and Breathing Exercise -- This one-page activity can be used to relieve uncomfortable emotions such as stress, anxiety, anger and sadness by being still and practicing intentional reflection and breathing.
- Wellness Wheel Exercise -- This one-page self-assessment activity can be used to set goals towards achieving greater balance in caring for oneself.
- Coping with Distress -- This one-page activity can be used to learn new ways to cope with and relieve stress. Developing ways to soothe can be helpful to prevent one from becoming emotionally overwhelmed.
- Healthy Coping Behaviours -- This one-page activity encourages taking care of oneself, particularly in moments of great instability.
- Regular Emotional Check-Ins -- This one-page activity that can help one slow down and check in with their emotional and physical well-being.
Online Engagement and Facilitation
In this time of increased online engagement – meetings, trainings, technical assistance, and more – it is important for facilitators to be prepared when hosting in online meetings. The South Africa HIV ATTC has developed a series of one-page guides for online engagement. These products were adapted from the larger resource developed by the Pacific Southwest Mental Health TTC to ensure cultural relevance. Specific topics include:
- General Guidelines for Virtual Meetings -- This guide offers advice for video, audio, and chatting etiquette when participating in online meetings.
- Guidance for Setting Up Online Meetings -- This guide helps facilitators to physically set up for online meetings including video conferencing.
- Facilitator Guide for Online Engagement -- This guide helps facilitators to prepare, set up, and host engaging online sessions.
- Group Norms for Online Engagement -- This guide helps facilitators to think through the setting of group norms and practices for online meetings