The Institute for Family Health (IFH) is a regional model providing comprehensive family healthcare services and training for professionals and caretakers in the fields of family healthcare, child protection, and rehabilitation for survivors of gender-based violence and torture. IFH also leads national gender-based violence initiatives, conducts human rights awareness programs, and implements capacity building for community-based organisations and other national and international organisations.
Image credit: Institute for Family Health.IFH operates a multidisciplinary women’s health and counselling centre, a child development unit, and Jordan’s first specialized rehabilitation center for trauma victims serving local community members and refugees from neighboring areas of conflict.
Currently, IFH provides its comprehensive family healthcare services to Jordanians and other nationalities through its work in four refugee camps, two centres in the Greater Amman Municipality, and six static and mobile clinics in five governorates across Jordan.
In partnership with several UN agencies and other international partners, IFH has been providing medical, psychosocial, child protection, and rehabilitation services since 2003 for displaced Iraqis and Syrians, as well as refugees of other nationalities residing in Jordan.
IFH also conducts regional training programs on specialised psychosocial interventions, clinical treatment for survivors of rape, gender-based violence, and child protection to teams from Syria, Iraq, Abu Dhabi, Gaza/West Bank, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt. In 2013, IFH became a member of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims.
Image credit: Institute for Family Health.IFH was established in 1986 with support from Save the Children – Sweden (RäddaBarnen) as a national model for primary healthcare services for mothers and children. The institute was the first health center in Jordan to provide comprehensive training for medical professionals, which initially focused on early detection and intervention for children with disabilities.
Since 2002, IFH has expanded its services to address gaps in family health needs, providing comprehensive counseling services to all family members with a special focus on adolescent females and women through IFH’s Women’s Health Counseling Center.
In response to the emerging need to address mental health issues, IFH established Jordan’s first Trauma Center in 2008. The center provides specialized rehabilitation services to individuals suffering from psychological disorders, survivors of gender-based violence and torture, and other war-related trauma.
Image credit: Institute for Family Health.Some of the IFH's peace-related work includes programmes on:
Gender-Based Violence: IFH is an internationally-recognized national and regional center providing prevention and rehabilitation services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, and other kinds of gender-based violence. Through its Trauma Center, IFH is providing medical, social, psychological, and legal individual counseling services, couples and group therapy, and support groups which target vulnerable groups such as women, children, and refugees.
Mental and Psychosocial Health: IFH’s Trauma Center is the first national rehabilitation center providing basic and advanced psychosocial counseling services in Jordan and focusing on behavioral and psychological disorders as well as treatment for those suffering from war-related trauma, torture, and organized violence.
Child Protection: a wide range of child protection services and activities are implemented through IFH units and child-friendly spaces that utilize professional techniques such as art and play therapy. Child protection services also include rehabilitation services for children with disabilities, abused children, and those with behavioral and psychological problems. Among the local and refugee communities, IFH is providing specialized services for unaccompanied and separated minors such as case management, follow-up, and alternative care arrangements.
Training and Capacity Building: IFH is recognised among healthcare providers as a national training center for community-based organisations and other governmental and non-governmental organisations on issues related to reproductive health and gender-based violence. One such training programme includes the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive Health in Crisis Situations, which focuses on gender-based violence issues such as the clinical management of rape, child protection, psychological first aid, human rights, community mobilisation, and other related topics.
Refugees: the institute provides its services through Family Health branches in four Syrian refugee camps (Zaatri, Cyber City, King Abdullah Parks, and EJC), in addition to two centers in the capital Amman and six units in five governorates (Ajlun, Jarash, Deir Alla, Zarqa, and Salt) targeting Jordanians and other nationalities. These units provide reproductive health, health education, psychosocial support to Gender based violence survivors, child protection, training, and community awareness programnes.
