Protecting and Empowering Persons with Disabilities in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic
Project Information
|
PROJECT TITLE |
Protecting and Empowering Persons with Disabilities in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic |
|
Abbreviation |
PEPD COVID 19 |
|
PROJECT BRIEF |
Protecting and Empowering Persons with Disabilities in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic project has been working since March 2021 to promote inclusive community-based mental health services for persons with disabilities in Bangladesh to protect their mental well-being. Under the project, 20 peer responders have been developed from the Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) and the Disability Specific Organizations (DSO). It is observed that, mental health of the persons with disabilities face negligence and there is absence of mental health care in the community level. To bring the mental health services at the doorsteps of persons with mental health needs and to promote community based mental health services, Centre for Disability in Development (CDD) has introduced the concept of Peer Responding through the Peer Responders in the community level for the first time in Bangladesh.
The peer responders are the vital driving force of this project who have been working to maximize mental health and wellbeing in their respective communities with the support of OPDs and DSOs. They are dedicatedly working in the community to identify the persons with mental health needs, to motivate the families to support member(s) having mental health issues, to respond to the primary mental health needs, and to create awareness in the community. Besides, they also are referring critical cases to the mental health professionals and make regular follow-up with them. Aside that, the peer responders are also playing crucial roles for the inclusion of persons with mental health needs in accessing to government services and opportunities. |
|
Objectives/Outcomes/Long-term Results |
Specific Objective: To promote inclusive community-based mental health services for persons with disabilities in Bangladesh to protect their mental well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. through achieving the following results Results:
Result 1: Increased availability of multi-tier inclusive mental health services for persons with disabilities at the community level. Result 2: Strengthened capacity of OPDs and DSOs to provide inclusive community-based mental health services for persons with disabilities. Result 3: Integration of inclusive community-based mental health services for persons with disabilities in public policy and programming |
|
Major Activities |
The project pursued a working strategy which ensures the improved capacity of the OPDs and DSOs.
Capacity Building and Empowering Peer-Responders Peer-responders are trained on responding to primary mental health needs having refreshers training to strengthen their better understanding of mental health issues and also to build their self-efficacy through continuous supervision by the expert mental health professionals.
Awareness and Sensitization to the Community Peer-responders secured their acceptance in the community (urban slums, semi-urban slums, and rural areas) and ensured awareness on mental health as well as sensitization for the community through regular courtyard meetings, meetings with the community people. As they have secured acceptance in the community therefore, they could hold meetings with the community workers, teachers, and religious personnel and also with the representatives of the local government agencies.
Identification The peer-responders have been trained on different psychometric tools e.g. DASS 21, WHO Wellbeing 5 for identification of the project-participants in order to provide them with mental health services.
Responding to Primary Mental Health Needs Peer-responders then responded the project-participants through regular door-to-door visits. They are also ensured uninterrupted services through tele-response (through a dedicated mobile-number).
Ensuring Better Mental Health Services in Needs Expert care has been ensured through dedicated hotline numbers with the help of a mental health professional. Periodic mental health camps are also organized with expert psychiatrists to create acceptance of the service as well as to make the service available for them who are being assessed as severe cases (psychotic).
Linkage and Referrals To ensure effective mental health care, project-participants were referred to the nearest as well as specialized hospitals by the peer-responders and regular follow-up has also been made by them.
Collaboration Advocacy-led campaign was in the process to reach out and influence different government and non-government bodies to ensure sustainable community-based mental health services. Aside from that, the persons with disabilities had the chance to work collaboratively with different stakeholders which gave them the chance for social inclusion.
Ensuring Long-term Resources Ensuring technical support to the OPDs through online and offline meeting was a continuous process. An online knowledge-hub has been developed with mental health resources that has been used by the peer-responders as the sources of supporting documents. All these interventions are being resulting in improved mental well-being. |
|
NAME OF DONOR(S) |
United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) |
|
PROJECT DURATION |
March 2021 – May 2022 (15 months) |
|
Starting Date |
March 2021 |
|
Ending Date |
May 2022 |
|
PROJECT CONTACT DETAILS |
|
|
Contact Person's Name |
Md. Aminul Islam |
|
Designation |
Assistant Coordinator, CDD |
|
Email address |
|
|
Phone Number |
+8801710295100 |
|
PROJECT LOCATION |
|
|
Division(s) |
Dhaka, Barisal, Chattogram, Sylhet |
|
District(s) |
Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Patuakhali, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and Moulovibazar in Bangladesh |
|
Upazila(s) / Thana(s) |
9 |
|
City Corporation(s) |
7 |
|
NAME OF PARTNER ORGANISATION(S) |
1. Disabled Child Foundation (DCF), 2. Narayangonj Sadar Upazila Pratibandhi Unnayan Parishad (NSUPUP), 3. Alor Chaya Protibondhi Sanstha, 4. Sharirik Protibondhi Unnayan Sangstha (Physically Disable Development Organization), 5. Disabled Development and Research Center (DDRC), 6. Social Assistance and Rehabilitation for the Physically Vulnerable (SARPV), 7. Sangram, 8. Prochesta, 9. Jugantar Samaj Unnayan Sangstha (JSUS) 10. Rural Enforcement Organization (REO). |
|
TOTAL BUDGET IN BDT |
5043899 BDT |
|
TARGET BENEFICIARIES |
Persons with Disabilities |
|
Direct Beneficiaries |
3392 |