Project profile — Safeguarding the Rights of Populations At-Risk for Ill-Mental Health in Guyana

• Guyana (95.28%)

• Developing countries, unspecified (4.72%)

• Noncommunicable diseases: Promotion of mental health and well-being (12340) (85.76%)
• Population Policies/Programmes And Reproductive Health: Population policy and administrative management (13010) (9.53%)
• Unallocated/ Unspecified: Sectors not specified (99810) (4.71%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (principal objective)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (principal objective)
• Nutrition (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project seeks to enhance the dignity and rights of vulnerable Guyanese through strengthening availability and capacity of mental health services at both the school and community levels. Project activities include: (1) conducting gender equality, child rights and protection audits in target schools; (2) gender-sensitive training for school counselors in confidential counseling, screening and referral pathways in target schools; (3) training of peer mental health and addiction survivors in strengths-based resilience and crisis intervention, promoting communities of care and outreach to vulnerable people; (4) training of facility-based Health Care Workers in mental health management priorities; and (5) training of Community Health Workers in providing rights-based mental health service, substance abuse and suicide attempt first aid. The project will benefit 67,250 men, women, boys and girls in vulnerable communities across Guyana.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) enhanced gender-responsive education for equitable inclusion and wellbeing among young women and men in regions 1-6 in Guyana; and (2) strengthened mental health resilience of mental health survivors in all regions.

Results achieved as of March 2024 include: (1) trained 1,312 students in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and gender-sensitive mental health education and awareness; (2) trained 3 peer mental health and addiction survivors in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and crisis intervention; (3) supported peer mental health workers to conduct 50 community care visits; (4) provided comprehensive training in mental health literacy to 370 healthcare workers and community gatekeepers; (5) reached 9,473 persons with mental health messaging via ‘Let's Talk Guyana’ campaign; (6) trained 35 persons in gender equality and inclusion; (7) trained 113 persons in strengths-based resilience; and (8) 2,996 persons reported receiving mental health services at the public health facility and community levels. Also trained 16 regional mental health leads in all 10 regions of Guyana. This includes conducting gender equality, mental health, and wellbeing audits in 17 schools across the country.

• Proactive disclosure