KOSHISH, in coordination with Pokhara Municipality, organized a two-day training for female community health volunteers on psychosocial health promotion and suicide prevention on May 24 and 25, 2022, in Pokhara municipality-30, Khudi.
Facilitated by psychologist Binay Pandey, the training aimed to develop a system of treatment referrals and identify mental health problems in the community. 17 female community health volunteers, who had been mobilized by Shishuwa Hospital and Urban Health Center, Pokhara, attended the training. The training was conducted in the presence of health workers from the Urban Health Center and Shishuwa Hospital, Pratibha Koirala, and Lilamaya Mahato.
The training covered a wide range of subjects, including mental health and psychosocial wellbeing; causes of mental and psychosocial problems; behavioral changes, effects, and consequences; types of disabilities; major mental health conditions; suicidal risk factors; safety factors; and resource mapping.
Following the training, participants showed an improved understanding of suicide case identification and prevention strategies. “We believed that providing care to suicidal people would be expensive. However, as a result of this training, we realized that there are so many free mental health services available, including toll-free services. These initiatives can provide assistance and coordination to those in need”, one of the participants shared.