Enabling Access to mental Health in Sierra Leone (EAMH – S/L) is a European Commission sponsored Project, designed to meet mental health needs in Sierra Leone, with City of Rest (CoR), Community Association for Psychosocial Support (CAPS) and University of Makeni (Unimak) serving as implementing partners.

The Project is designed to advocate for and on behalf of people with mental health challenges in Sierra Leone and ensure that best policies are made and fully implemented.

It focuses on people as the ultimate resource for socio-economic development in a post-conflict country, like Sierra Leone.

City of Rest is a residential and some times serves as a day Care (though not always) Mental Health Organisation, who deals with ranges of health challenges including Psychosis, Substance Abuse and Trauma. It caters for all ages (regardless of nationality or tribe), with specific emphasis on youths and adults. At present, it is working on building a mental health coalition body that would serve as a voice for those suffering from mental health and their care givers.

EAMH – S/L is fashioned to satisfy three major goals.

•   TRAINING – An aspect which is conducted by the University of Makeni (UNIMAK).
•   ADVOCACY – A wing which the City of Rest (CoR) coordinates through its newly established Mental Health Coalition
•   SENSITISATION – A sub set which Community Association for Psychosocial Services (CAPS) presides over.

This Project is implemented under the supervision and sponsorship of three (3) international organisations, which are:

• European Commission (EC)
•  Global Initiative on Psychiatry (GIP)
• Christian Blind Mission (CBM)

April 1st, 2011, saw the commencement of this very important Project and work has been ongoing ever since.

CAPS has not in any form been slow in mapping out organisations dealing with mental health and such related issues nation wide.

The Team has been able to visit many organizations, both traditional as well as medical and religious to be able to assess to scope and effect of mental health needs in the country. They are currently working with City of Rest, to unify a database – as City of Rest had already done a survey of Freetown.

University of Makeni (UNIMAK) was also involved in lots of meetings to ensure that the training goals are actualised. In May, 2011, it hosted about twenty-five (25) people in planning a curriculum for training psychiatry nurses. The direct involvement of the Director of Health and other main stream educationalists both from the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences – University of Sierra Leone and the University of Makeni were directly involved in this process. This also includes major stakeholders from the World Health Organisation – Sierra Leone.

 

Enabling Access to Mental Health in Sierra Leone – Project Coordination Office
Bass Street 3, Off Kingharman Road, Brookfields, Freetown.
Sierra Leone, West Africa
Email: enablingaccessmhs@gmail.com / enablingaccessopa@gmail.com
Tel: +232 (0) 78626562 / +232 (0) 76280246