by Vincent Alele
CCVS-Uganda
Focus Summary
Centre for Children in Vulnerable Situations (CCVS)-Uganda was founded in 2010, aiming to promote the psychological health and wellbeing of war-affected children, youth, adults and their communities in Lira District, Northern Uganda, through providing systemic-oriented psychotherapy. In this presentation, we will elaborate on CCVS-Uganda’s activities, challenges met and lessons learnt through the provision of psychological support in the aftermath of collective violence. Currently, CCVS-Uganda is working in several communities, schools, Lira Main Prison, Lira Mental Health Unit and several Health Centres providing individual, family and group psychotherapy, and community sensitizations on mental health (problems). More specifically, we will discuss our group psychotherapy approach which we are currently developing based on the needs of our beneficiaries, tailored towards alleviating psychological challenges and enhancing social support.
Key Insights
Feedback was given from the Common Threads Mission, an organization providing mental health services by asking their beneficiaries to make story cloths. This intervention might also be an interesting intervention for us to pilot in Northern Uganda.
Key take-outs from the ISHHR 2017 Conference (industry feedback, networking, peer presentations):
Feedback was given from the Common Threads Mission, an organization providing mental health services by asking their beneficiaries to make story cloths. This intervention might also be an interesting intervention for us to pilot in Northern Uganda.
Future goals — what’s next?
CCVS-Uganda wants to strengthen its community and group therapy approaches to reach more people in post-conflict Northern Uganda. In addition, we want to continue to advocate for the need of professional and accessible mental health services in Uganda and beyond.
How can local / national / international media better assist in bringing the vital issues discussed at ISHHR 2017 to light, and further encourage real, positive change and understanding?
CCVS-Uganda would suggest to the media to open up space for creating awareness on mental health and mental health problems, and to advocate for professional and accessible mental health services all over the world.