SAJIDA Mental Health Program

WHY MENTAL HEALTH?

In Bangladesh, nearly 92% of adults suffering from mental disorders do not seek treatment and around 94% of children with mental illness do not get psychiatric care. Among the remaining 8% who actively seek mental health support, approximately 48% of them receive treatment derived from unscientific methods.

Hence, the burden of mental disorders is high and the benefits of integrating mental health in primary care are enormous in terms of reducing disease burden, treatment gap, and cost burden for individuals and families.

SAJIDA MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM

SAJIDA Mental Health Program (SMHP) is a comprehensive and multidisciplinary initiative, aimed towards addressing existing gaps in access to affordable mental health support systems for the lower-income and ultra-poor. Through an integrated and collaborative approach, backed by evidence-based research, SAJIDA Mental Health Program is aimed at developing, delivering, and educating the mental health space alongside the audience it is targeted towards.

“SAJIDA aims to provide a platform for the millions of unheard voices. Through our various initiatives, we seek to ease the anxiety and raise awareness of the often-unaddressed issue of mental well-being.”

PROJECTS

SMHP currently has 3 ongoing projects which collectively provide all-around mental health support to individuals in dire need of a functioning mental health support system.

SHOJON

Residential Facility
(an ongoing development)

Kaan Pete Roi

SHOJON

A remote mental health service helpline number that provides psychotherapy and psychiatric care through a 3-tier service model.

An initiative by SAJIDA Foundation for developing a sustainable and low-cost remote mental health service, SHOJON is targeted towards lower-middle-income, low-income, and ultra-poor households, and aims to address the gaps prevalent in the mental health support system. The service provides affordable and long-term clinical mental healthcare services, accessible from any part of the country.

MENTAL HEALTH RESIDENTIAL FACILITY

An in-patient mental health facility, currently under development, which will provide comprehensive psychiatric care and clinical rehabilitation services to those in need.

Residential Facility will be the first-of-its-kind integrated Mental Health Rehabilitation Centre, which will provide strength to the mental health community in Bangladesh by making the necessary mental healthcare assistance accessible to the rural and semi-urban population of the country. While there is a dire need of mental healthcare facilities at community levels, there is only 1 facility providing the support that is required by many. SAJIDA’s Mental Health Rehabilitation Facility will address this gap in the mental healthcare need through numerous local rehabilitation facilities, which will be able to provide the care that is desperately required.

KAAN PETE ROI

Initiated in 2013, Kaan Pete Roi is an emotional support and suicide helpline service that provides a safe space for individuals in need of an immediate emotional outlet using the Befriending approach.

Kaan Pete Roi is the first of its kind in Bangladesh, providing immediate and emergency emotional support. With a mission to alleviate feelings of despair, isolation, stress, and more importantly, suicidal thoughts among the members of our community, the program aims to reach out to all with the message of mental health and wellbeing.

MENTAL HEALTH CAPACITY BUILDING

Under SAJIDA’s Mental Health Program, there are capacity-building initiatives. SMHP is building on the knowledge and support system by employing training modules to help train a larger number of para-counsellors, and providing their expertise in supporting nationwide mental health initiatives. Through ongoing research, developmental processes, and numerous partnerships, this program aims to support people from all social spectrums in their journey towards a better and healthier mental health state.

PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS

The Psychological Health and Wellness Clinic (PHWC), was established in 2017 in partnership with SAJIDA Foundation, it seeks to provide the highest levels of service, geared towards effective care and ensuring availability of supportive mental health care

SAJIDA Foundation with the vision of “Health, Happiness & Dignity for All” has collaborated with Autism Recovery Network (ARN) and set up a centre to provide world-class interventions for children with special needs.

SAJIDA has partnered with the British Asian Trust to launch a mental health support program. Currently the program has set its focus on providing their services to the frontline healthcare workers, Covid-19 positive patents and their family members.

BALM, a sister organisation of The Banyan, focuses on education and training, research, and social action, with an emphasis on capacity building to fill the mental health care gap and reach vulnerable populations with limited access to services.