The Country Leader of Carter Center Mental Health Program, S. Benedict Dossen, has informed the Hot Pepper that the Carter Center Mental Health Program was founded on the basis of strengthening Liberia’s mental health system.
The Carter Center mental health program has been in the country for over ten years providing advanced training in mental health service delivery. The program has trained over three hundred health workers in mental health service delivery.
Currently, half of the public health facilities in Liberia have mental health units attached to them in order to address mental healthcare service delivery.
Dossen noted that the Carter Center mental health program was grounded on the following pillars: to boost the competency and increase the number of mental health workforce, to support policy implementation and to advance advocacy to fight stigma.
The Carter Center Mental Health program leader said the program does not treat people suffering from mental health issues, but rather provides advanced training for health workers in addressing these issues.
According to him, the mental health program is basically designed to develop the workforce of mental health workers in Liberia.
He disclosed that they have graduated from institutional-based mental healthcare service delivery to community-based mental healthcare service delivery in Liberia.
Dossen said the Carter Center mental health program supported the legislation of Liberia’s first mental health policy and strategic plan, and that a plan is underway by Carter Center mental health program to honor certain individuals in Liberia as champions of mental health. Dossen noted that these champions are committed to supporting the fight to improve mental healthcare service delivery.