Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Caring for Carers (C4C) project aims to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of an online, group-based supervision program for mental health practitioners working with displaced communities in Bangladesh and in Türkiye and Northwest Syria. This paper highlights the integration of Rohingya perspectives to ensure responsiveness to the unique needs of displaced populations through the supervision program. METHODS: Adopting a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, the project engaged Rohingya community members in every phase to ensure the program's relevance to local needs. A Rohingya Advisory Committee (RAC) was formed to integrate Rohingya perspectives and conducted in-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussions (FGD) with two female MHPSS service users and five male community members, respectively. As recommended by Kiger and Varpio (2020), thematic analysis was employed within a constructivist framework that acknowledged cultural variations in mental health perceptions. The C4C project employed several strategies to engage community members and integrate their perspectives. Stakeholder consultations involved MHPSS service users and community members, the RAC conducted workshops for supervisors, and engaged regularly with the project team providing insights on cultural and practical challenges and collaborating to adapt supervision program materials. RESULTS: FGD and IDI with service users and community members provided a first glimpse into the community's needs, and experiences, whereas the advisory committee provided lived experiences, meaning of displacement, and ancestral background. The project team invested in a respectful relationship with the advisory committee, working collaboratively to reflect on each other's perspectives through regular meetings and adding content and strategies to the supervision processes. Voices from the community informed the supervision program by elucidating contextual markers, cultural and situational understanding, appreciation, curiosity, experiential information, historical background, and perspectives on mental health needs as well as services. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating strategies and perspectives from the community, we aimed to provide a framework of community engagement termed as PEACE (Participation, Expertise, Agency, Connection, and Empowerment) along with enabling and challenging factors.