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

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.