a. Who we are
Introduction
Psych Corps Ghana (PCG) was established in 2012 to reduce the wide treatment gap of 97% in conventional mental health services provision in Ghana. PCG trains and equips new graduates in psychology to administer psychological first aid in communities, reduce stigma and bridge the treatment gap. We strategically recruit Level 400 psychology undergraduates from Tertiary institutions and further orient and provide them with intensive training in lay counselling and mental health advocacy, taking advantage of their enthusiasm and 4 years of psychology training. When they graduate, PCG liaises with the National Service Scheme (NSS) to ensure smooth posting to various health facilities across the country to work alongside community psychiatric nurses and psychologists. PCG monitors their activities and work output with visits by coordinators and with the use of social media platforms such as WhatsApp. We also provide continuous educational support. Annually, PCG posts between 45- 60 graduates.
Vision
To become a global mental health care organization that prepares psychology graduates for community mental health service to individuals, families, and institutions.
Mission
To promote mental health care through the Psych Corps by bridging the gap in mental health care treatment, through psych education, home visits with Community Psychiatric Nurses, case identification and tracking of default clients/patients.
Our Motivation
We are motivated by the fact that the principles and methods of psychological care can ease the pain of mental illness and that psychology graduates armed with these can make a big difference to the lives of individuals, families and communities, and change the way health care is delivered in Ghana.
Core Values-C.A.R.E.
Collaboration: We collaborate with stakeholders (families, health providers, caregivers, other NGOs, government agencies) to achieve our objectives of reducing the wide treatment gap and promotion of mental health
Assistance/Accessibility: We want to ensure that every individual has unrestricted access to mental health care.
Respect: We believe that all people should be treated with dignity and without stigmatization.
Equality/Equity: We believe every individual in Ghana no matter their status deserves fair and optimal mental health services
Objectives/Goals
1. To train and equip psychology graduates to promote mental health across the country.
2. To help bridge the mental health treatment gap through lay counseling.
3. To offer continuous training for qualified psychologists (clinical, industrial, social psychologists, etc.) in Ghana.
4. To partner with other mental health organizations to help promote mental health care through advocacy and research.
5. To organize training, workshops and seminars for psychologists, counselors, paraprofessionals, and other mental health workers.
6. To provide community internships both internally and globally
Strategies of Operations
As a mental health organization, we shall be guided by the principles and codes of the Ghana Psychological Council Act 857, the Mental Health Act 846, the Patients Charter and the Code of Ethics of the Ghana Health Service
Areas of Operation
1. Psych Corps Program
2. Training of lay counselors and Psychologist’s Assistants.
3. Developing relevant curricular and job descriptions in mental health
4. Organize training, workshops and seminars for psychologists, counselors, and psychological paraprofessionals.
5. Community outreaches (to schools, hospitals, and churches)
6. Refresher courses for mental health workers.
7. Community internships for Ghanaian and foreign students
Thematic Areas of Operation
Visual Representation of Thematic areas of Operation
Recruiting Students for Psych Corps Program
Every first semester of every academic year, the coordinators embark on recruitment. The coordinators first ask permission from lecturers of various fourth year courses to speak to the students about the Psych Corps programme. The names and contact details of students who show interest is taken down and a database is created so as to keep in touch with them. Emails and text messages are sent to students to notify them of their registration.
Training and Orientation
Training and orientation are held for the students who showed interest in the program in the 2nd semester. The purpose of this training is to equip the students with the necessary skills they need as lay counselors. The training is done on a weekend or a weekday, depending on the lecture schedule for that year. The students are trained using the Psych Corps (PCs) toolkit developed by Yale University and University of Ghana. Our Director and Patrons spare time to conduct this training. The whole training is organized into three sessions with three modules handled per training.
Positing and Placement
After the training, the students are ready to be posted by the National Service Scheme (NSS) to the various hospitals. When the students are done with their National service registration, they are asked to send the coordinators their NSS Number. This will be attached to their names and the list will be sent to National Service for posting. Students are called, sent SMS and email to notify them of the final date that the list will be sent to NSS.
When NSS does the deployment, the coordinators share endorsed letters to Psych Corps through their emails and via WhatsApp to print and submit to their place of postings. These letters are given to the hospital administrators to ensure that Psych Corps are placed in a mental health, counselling units or related units such as Antiretroviral therapy unit. In cases where this does not happen, the coordinators then follow up to make sure that the Psych Corps are placed appropriately. The WhatsApp platform is normally created when national service makes announcement concerning registration for National service. While on the job, the Psych Corps are actively engaged in the learning process, so they are tasked to present on various mental health topics virtually.
Monitoring
Monitoring of the Corps include visits, sending SMS texts, and emails, calling them to find out how they are doing. Their in-charges are also called occasionally to find out how the corps are performing. Also, quarterly report forms are sent to the corps to provide us with reports. The WhatsApp platform is also used to monitor and help corps who need assistance.
With regards to visits, the corps are visited at least once or twice before they complete their national service. The visits are done in phases. During these visits, contacts are made with the corps, their in-charges, regional CPNs and sometimes the regional directors of health if there is time.
After the national service, corps are given certificates as lay counselors in addition to the certificate they get from NSS.