Mental Wellness Training for Congo
Donation protected
Introduction:
Aloha! My name is Amanda Hess and I am a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and licensed Mental Health Counselor from Hawaii (www.hi-sccs.com). I'm fundraising to provide Mental Health Facilitator training to civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).
Itemized expenses:
-Mental Health Facilitator Training Curriculum License Fee: $1,000
-Materials: $230
-Airfare: $2,800
-Per Diem for Food: $280
-Hotel $130/night x 2 weeks: $1,820
Total: $6,130
Any additional funds will be used to sponsor DR Congo trainees travel accommodations.
Background:
In 2015 and 2016, I traveled to Rwanda (DR Congo's neighbor to the east) with a delegation from the U.S. to participate in cross-cultural mental health trainings. I've teamed up with my DR Congo colleagues living in Rwanda to bring the National Board for Certified Counselors - International's Mental Health Facilitator training (www.mentalhealthfacilitator.com) to DR Congo. My goal is to train by 2018, but I need your help.
"The recent history of DR Congo has been one of civil war and corruption. DR Congo is a vast country with immense economic resources and, until recently, has been at the centre of what some observers call "Africa's world war", with widespread civilian suffering the result. The war [has so far] claimed up to six million lives, either as a direct result of fighting or because of disease and malnutrition." -BBC (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13283212)
Any amount you can donate helps to address the dearth of mental health support. According to APA's Psychology International: "There are only six mental health hospitals in the country with 500 beds, which means there are 0.737 beds per every 100,000 people. Kinshasa, the capital city, has one mental health outpatient facility, the Centre Neuro-Psycho Psychiatrique de Kinshasa (CNPP). There are no day treatment facilities, no dedicated psychiatric beds in medical-surgical hospitals and no beds in community residential facilities (Mental Health Atlas, 2011). The national director of DRC mental health, Muteba, has underscored the lack of trained mental health personnel in the country (Schuster, 2013). There are 34 neuropsychiatrists (0.066 per 100,000 people), 0.044/100,000 psychiatrists and 0.236 /100,000 psychiatric nurses. There are only 11 doctoral level clinical psychologists (0.015/100,000), 0.018/100,000 social workers and 0.001/100/000 occupational therapists. Almost all these mental health professionals work in the capital city, with few to none in rural areas (e.g., 30 out 34 neuropsychiatrists work in Kinshasa) (International Psychiatrist, 2010; Shuster, 2013)." -APA (http://www.apa.org/international/pi/2014/12/congo-birth-growth.aspx)
Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Aloha!
Aloha! My name is Amanda Hess and I am a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and licensed Mental Health Counselor from Hawaii (www.hi-sccs.com). I'm fundraising to provide Mental Health Facilitator training to civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).
Itemized expenses:
-Mental Health Facilitator Training Curriculum License Fee: $1,000
-Materials: $230
-Airfare: $2,800
-Per Diem for Food: $280
-Hotel $130/night x 2 weeks: $1,820
Total: $6,130
Any additional funds will be used to sponsor DR Congo trainees travel accommodations.
Background:
In 2015 and 2016, I traveled to Rwanda (DR Congo's neighbor to the east) with a delegation from the U.S. to participate in cross-cultural mental health trainings. I've teamed up with my DR Congo colleagues living in Rwanda to bring the National Board for Certified Counselors - International's Mental Health Facilitator training (www.mentalhealthfacilitator.com) to DR Congo. My goal is to train by 2018, but I need your help.
"The recent history of DR Congo has been one of civil war and corruption. DR Congo is a vast country with immense economic resources and, until recently, has been at the centre of what some observers call "Africa's world war", with widespread civilian suffering the result. The war [has so far] claimed up to six million lives, either as a direct result of fighting or because of disease and malnutrition." -BBC (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13283212)
Any amount you can donate helps to address the dearth of mental health support. According to APA's Psychology International: "There are only six mental health hospitals in the country with 500 beds, which means there are 0.737 beds per every 100,000 people. Kinshasa, the capital city, has one mental health outpatient facility, the Centre Neuro-Psycho Psychiatrique de Kinshasa (CNPP). There are no day treatment facilities, no dedicated psychiatric beds in medical-surgical hospitals and no beds in community residential facilities (Mental Health Atlas, 2011). The national director of DRC mental health, Muteba, has underscored the lack of trained mental health personnel in the country (Schuster, 2013). There are 34 neuropsychiatrists (0.066 per 100,000 people), 0.044/100,000 psychiatrists and 0.236 /100,000 psychiatric nurses. There are only 11 doctoral level clinical psychologists (0.015/100,000), 0.018/100,000 social workers and 0.001/100/000 occupational therapists. Almost all these mental health professionals work in the capital city, with few to none in rural areas (e.g., 30 out 34 neuropsychiatrists work in Kinshasa) (International Psychiatrist, 2010; Shuster, 2013)." -APA (http://www.apa.org/international/pi/2014/12/congo-birth-growth.aspx)
Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Aloha!
Organizer
Amanda Human
Organizer
Kapolei, HI
