Community Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Services
Overview
The Community Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (cMPHSS) Services of the CBC Health Services involve the integration of Mental Health and psychological support into primary healthcare (PHC), elaborating a community-based approach to care to improve access through decentralization of mental health services. The cMPHSS of the CBC Health Services works with psychiatric nurses stationed in its leading facilities in the country and works with PHC providers based in Health Centres, community-based volunteers, and the Community Counselling Clinic (CCC) in Nkwen, Bamenda. The program offers Primary Mental health Care through the training of PHC providers on using the mhGAP Protocol to meet mental health needs.
Main Goal
To assist in the reduction of disabilities caused by Mental, Neurological and Substance Use (MNS) conditions by enhancing improved uptake of Mental Health and Psychosocial Services Support (MHPSS) by individuals, families, and communities.
Access Points:
Clinical consultations in based hospitals; inpatient services, emergency services and OPD consultations; Outreaches; Home Visits; Community Self-Help/Support groups and through Referrals
Specific Objectives
- Improve access to quality and sustainable Mental Health services across CBCHS facilities and the Communities it covers;
- Train and commission skilled Mental Health staff to supervise, support, and strengthen the implementation of Mental Health services within the framework of mhGAP protocol;
- Capacitate primary health care staff using the mhGAP protocol to facilitate the integration of Mental Health into Primary Health Care;
- Improve access to mental healthcare for persons with disabilities;
- Strengthen Mental Health and Psychosocial Services (MHPSS) in CBCHS hospitals (liaison mental health services)
- Facilitate inclusion and rehabilitation of persons with mental and psychosocial disabilities.
Activities
Approach
- Enforcing collaboration among staff and soliciting administration support and coverage;
- The training, recruitment, and retention of qualified staff including at least one resident Psychiatrist;
- Collaboration with Local Councils and CBR to establish support groups in the community within the
framework of CBID; - Ensuring all Major CBCHS Hospitals in the region have at least a Psychiatric Nurse as well as mhGAP-
trained staff; - Services are community-based with activities including facilitating the integration of mental health into
primary healthcare, enforcement of community-based care through outreaches, support groups services,
home-based care/home visits, and creation of safe corners; - The liaison psychiatric unit in the based hospital shall serve as the “hub” for each
region/Community/catchment area from which community mental health activities shall be planned and
taken to the communities while integrating mental healthcare into the activities of the hospitals; - Ensuring all CBCHS facilities have at least one staff trained on mhGAP;
- Up-grating some psychiatric nurses to trainers and supervisors;
- Ensuring effective interdepartmental collaboration (chaplaincy/pastors/social workers and other clinical
staff); - Mobilization of resources to ensure sustainability;
- Design a curriculum for integration of Mental Health into training curricula of all staff trained within the
CBCHS; - Establish a comprehensive referral pathway for mental health care and interdepartmental collaboration.
- Ensure all training programs of the CBCHS have Mental Health incorporated and taught by certified
mental health trainers; - Engage in meaningful partnership with other organizations/mental health stakeholders with interest and
commitment to enhancing mental health care in the country;
Techniques of Interventions
- Mental Health Advocacy, Mental health education and sensitization;
- Mental illness diagnosis and treatment;
- Provision of Psycho-education, strengthening social support and enhancing the activity of daily leaving;
- Pharmacological intervention for diagnosable mental illnesses;
- Provision of psychological interventions including CBT, IPT, BA, REBT, relaxation therapies etc;
- Provision of Psychological First Aids;
- Psychosocial support and counseling for general cases;
- Specific case management for GBV, HIV/AIDS, NCDs etc;
Achievements
- Total number of clients attended to by the Community Mental Health team for MHPSS services stands at 79,021 in general with 14,627 seen in 2022 alone, in hospital-based clinics, outreaches, support groups and home visits.
- To date, a total of ninety-two (92) clinicians have been capacitated on mhGAP within CBCHS health services facilities and 20 from other non- CBCHS mental health stakeholders within the country.
- A comprehensive referral pathway for MHPSS has been elaborated for the CBCHS and effectively being put into practice.
- Some 25 ex-patients and relatives have been trained in different communities and villages and are actively carrying out community sensitization and leading support groups.
- Support groups created in community activities improve access to mental healthcare for people in these challenging times due to the socio-political crisis.
- Creation of liaison mental health clinics in 13 hospitals in 6 regions in Cameroon run by psychiatric/mental health nurses/community mental health technicians working with social workers, psychologists and other allied health workers.
- Effective decentralization and provision of quality mental healthcare within the context of task sharing,
- The training of Community Mental Health Technicians a new cadre of staff introduced who works together with other providers.
- Exploring the use technology through the provision of telepsyche to improve access to mental healthcare.
Prospects
- Increase the number of mental health Nurses
- Create more liaison psychiatric units in general hospitals in need
- Create more self-help groups in communities
- To expand services to services to other programs of the health department
- Harmonize the services of mental health providers, chaplains, and social workers through workshops
- Foster mental health research
- Mobilize resources to improve access to mental health services and support to underserved and vulnerable communities with difficulties affording services.
Our Partners
