There are both child- and resource-related reasons for incorporating child mental health provision to existing psychosocial support, especially in contexts of disadvantage such as the South African communities participating in this project: children often have multiple social care, health and educational needs that are unlikely to be addressed by one single agency or intervention; and there are not enough resources or access to mental health services. This is the principle, but how did we go about it?
Our childcare practitioners (or trainers) followed a multi-domain framework (protection, family support, resilience through school and community, upskilling professionals and community volunteers, enhancing service access). Within each domain, they identified what psychosocial support was available, agreed priorities with community providers, co-produced and implemented realistic and achievable service plans.
Essentially, they added an ‘M’ to what they were already doing, but it took a lot of training, motivation and skill (dancing too) to see it through.
Here is how youth, parents, professionals and managers experienced this model:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107482
panosvostanis 