Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for children and adolescents is fast becoming a global priority but while its necessity is identified, low and middle-income countries like Pakistan continue to find it as a stigmatised, under-researched, and under-resourced area of work. Lack of recognition, awareness and promotion of mental health and psychosocial needs amongst children and adolescents is further compounded by inadequate mental health facilities and trained human resources. The current situation demanded action and resource mobilization to cater to the unmet needs of adolescents and their caregivers nationwide by strengthening and empowering communities to support their youth and work collaboratively to ensure early intervention, reduction in stigma, and increased awareness.
The programme, SHAMS (self-care and hope through adolescent-led mental health and psychosocial support), a collaboration between the School of Leadership Foundation and UNICEF Pakistan was conceptualized and designed to achieve a reduction in mental health stigma and discrimination, promotion and acceptance of care-seeking among adolescent girls and boys (10-19 years) and their caregiver, an increase in the adoption of positive self-care practices among adolescents and promotion of protective factors as well as referral of adolescents to specialized MHPSS and children protection services as required and to mentor adolescents living in residential care facilities in KP and generate evidence on mentoring needs for children ageing out of care. For the objective SOLF partnered with Taskeen to develop a 6 month long, peer mentorship program designed on the basis of the needs assessed for adolescents to build the capacity of and support and supervise 25 youth volunteer mentors through a 2 day workshop on the mentoring programme.
