Strengthen community mental health services including rehabilitation

Activities

1.4.1 Provide community mental health services through CHPS

1.4.2 Promote formation of self-help groups in the communities

1.4.3 Provide rehabilitation and support services to mental health patients

1.4.4 Provide half way homes, day care and community centres in collaboration with the local authorities, NGOs, Department of Social Welfare, churches etc.

    1.4.5 Provide occupational therapies

Objective 2: Build capacity for mental health care

To build capacity for mental health care there is the need to train more staff, distribute them equitably, conduct regular in-service training for staff, provide avenues for professional development, motivate staff, and improve case management capacity of staff

The main strategies to be employed are:

2.1 Build workforce capacity at all levels in the health system, among all categories of professionals and non-professionals including volunteers

2.2 Improve case management of mental disorders at all levels of care

2.3 Strengthen governance and leadership

2.4 Promote Human Rights of the mentally ill patients

Strategy 2.1: Build workforce capacity at all levels in the health system, among all categories of professionals through the following activities:

2.1.1 Expanding training institutions to increase numbers of mental health professionals

2.1.2 Encouraging tertiary institutions to train mental health professionals

2.1.3 Promoting private sector participation in the training of mental health professionals

2.1.4 Institute continuous professional development of existing staff

2.1.5 Organizing in service training for existing staff

2.1.6 Sensitization/orientation for health workforce including, Professional Nurses, Community health nurses, Medical officers, other Para-medics with regards to the new mental health act and care of mentally ill people

2.1.7 Train volunteers in the community, eg. teachers, traditional and faith based healers for use as informal community frontline workers

2.1.8 Establishing four new 40-50 bed capacity regional psychiatric hospitals in the middle and northern belts.

Strategy 2.2: Improve case management of mental illnesses at all levels of care

Activities

2.2.1 Review or develop Standards, protocols and treatment guidelines for mental health in line with mental health Act.

2.2.2 Train both mental health and non-mental health professionals to improve case management of mental health conditions.

2.2.3 Improve quality assurance systems

2.2.4 Strengthen referral and support systems

2.2.5 Strengthen supervision, monitoring, research and improve health information management system