The Winrock International – implemented Ashshash project; supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, organized a ‘National Conference on Mental Health Services for Survivors of Human Trafficking,' in collaboration with the Department of Clinical Psychology (DCP), the University of Dhaka on Wednesday (August 3, 2022).
The participation of representatives from the National Trauma Counselling Center (NTCC) under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ministry of Social Welfare, National Institute of Mental Health, and representatives from the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, mental health professionals, relevant UN bodies, INGOs, and NGOs, were ensured at the conference.
Through the conference, all participants shared their respective experiences, scopes, challenges, and ways forward; with regard to the provision of mental health services for the victims of human trafficking, and other vulnerable populace.
In turn, Ashshash-capacitated mental health caregivers shared their experiences on robust capacity-development initiatives; that created increased access to mental health services at grassroot-levels.
The importance of psychosocial support in improving the quality of life (of the survivors), ensuring their overall wellbeing, and enabling self-reliance, was also highlighted through the session.
Ashshash’s beneficiaries – the survivors, exhibited the direct result of the project’s psychosocial counselling support; towards forging mental resiliency, and enabling their successful journeys towards reintegration.
Dr. Shahnur Hossain, Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychologist, University of Dhaka, inaugurated the session. Kamal U. A. Chowdhury, Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Dhaka, was the keynote presenter and highlighted the overall context of provisioning psychosocial counselling support at grassroot levels, the associated challenges, and potential scopes of intervention through collaborative efforts, moderation of existing resources, and capacity development of mental health caregivers at grassroot levels.
Mohammad Shaheen, Joint Secretary (Institution), Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW), endorsed the ongoing work of the project and stated that in the future, he envisions to institutionalize mental healthcare service provision.
Additionally, he focused on provisioning mental health support provisions for the perpetrators as well; and increased focus on prevention-mechanisms through awareness activities. ‘We should aim to maximize the impact (of psychosocial counselling) with the existing resources at hand’, he stated.
Professor Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder, Director, The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), stated that NIMH operates institutionally and projects like Ashshash works at grassroot-levels. This gap must be bridged to ensure the effective provision of counselling services.
He noted that the number of service providers are substantially less, in comparison to people in need of psychosocial support; and this should be addressed through the capacity-development of professional caregivers.
The Chief Guest in attendance – Suzanne Mueller, Deputy Head of Mission/Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, earmarked that several ministries, governmental agencies, NGOs, and INGOs are working to deliver the care and support needed by the victims; however, they require a comprehensive referral structure by integrating all the service-providers under a singular ‘Standard Operating Procedure’.
She also noted that the government can take initiatives to introduce mental healthcare services at district and Upazila-level hospitals; for the adequate provision of psychosocial counselling support, and prevent re-traumatization.
The ensuing panel-discussion centered overall context of mental healthcare services at present; with difficulty in accessing the service at rural-levels. ‘Mental health is not a charity, but the rights of the victim to have access at all times’, stated a mental healthcare professional.
It was noted that many governmental non-governmental organizations have the capacity and resources to provision this service at grassroot-levels, but lack the coordination required to ensure it. Thus, such collaborations must be ensured promptly.
Summarily, Ashshash’s pathway to forge increased access to mental health services at grassroot levels and evidence-based practices of providing counselling support to the survivors of human trafficking, were showcased to Mental Health And Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) – related policymakers and service-providers.
Thus, key recommendations and ways forward on mental health services were also earmarked as the lessons-learnt.
The Chief Guest in attendance was Suzanne Mueller, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh.
The special guests in participance were Mohammad Shaheen, Joint Secretary (Institution), Ministry of Social Welfare, and Professor Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder, Director, The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Mohammad Nadim Rahman, National Programme Officer – Migration and Local Governance, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh was also in participance. Other keynote speakers in participance were Sk Najmul Islam, Psychosocial and Legal Services Manager, Winrock International – Ashshash.
The sessions were moderated by Kamal U. A. Chowdhury, Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Dhaka.-Press Release.