Mental Health Cox's Bazar Psykisk hälsa Cox's Bazar Reprogrammed funds to address COVID-19
Support to mental health among Rohingya refugees and host population i Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

The Organization for International Migration, IOM, has applied for funding from Sida with SEK 20 million to implement the intervention "Expanding the Protection and Promotion of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for the Communities Affected by the Refugee Emergency in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh" during the period 2019-2021.

The main objective of the intervention is to scale-up Mental Health and Psycho Social Support, MHPSS, to increase outreach capacity and improve service provision towards achieving a more holistic, comprehensive and inclusive mental health and psychosocial response for both refugees and host population.

The programme  will work towards three priority outcomes in order to meet this objective:
1. Strengthen the national system in the provision of MHPSS services through increased coordination and knowledge management
2. Improve MHPSS coverage by adding and expanding outreach services and elements to the host community, as well as addressing the need to strengthen local capacity for adequately detecting and responding to mental health challenges
3. Strengthen the community-based and development approach of the MHPSS response.

The total budget of the contribution is 20 million Swedish kronor. No funds will be sub-granted. Omprogrammerade medel för att bekämpa covid-19
Organisationen för Internationell Migration, IOM, har ansökt hos Sida om finansiering med 20 miljoner kronor för att genomföra insatsen "Ökat skydd och främjande av psykisk hälsa och psykosocialt stöd till Rohingya och lokalbefolkning påverkade av flyktingkrisen i Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh" under perioden 2019-2021.

Insatsen syftar till att stärka Mental hälsa och psykosocialt stöd, MHPSS, för att öka kapaciteten och förbättra servicen för en mer holistisk  och inkluderande psykisk hälsovård och psykosocial respons för både flyktingar och lokalbefolkning.

Programmet  kommer att arbeta mot tre prioriterade resultat för att uppnå detta mål:
1. Stärka det nationella systemet för tillhandahållande av MHPSS genom ökad samordning och kunskapsutveckling
2. Förbättra täckningen av MHPSS genom att utveckla och nå ut med service och stöd till värdsamhället, samt stärka lokal kapacitet för att upptäcka och ge stöd vid psykisk utsatthet
3. Stärka MHPSS-responsen utifrån en lokalsamhällesstrategi och med ett utvecklingsperspektiv.

Insatsens totala budget är 20 miljoner kronor. Inga medel kommer att vidareförmedlas. The main objective of the intervention proposed by IOM is to scale-up MHPSS programming to increase outreach capacity and improve service provision towards achieving a more holistic, comprehensive and inclusive mental health and psychosocial response to Rohingya refugees and host population in Cox's Bazar.The programme presented by IOM will work towards three priority outcomes in order to meet this objective:
1. Strengthen the national system in the provision of MHPSS services through increased coordination and knowledge management
2. Improve MHPSS coverage by adding and expanding outreach services and elements to the host community, as well as addressing the need to strengthen local capacity for adequately detecting and responding to mental health challenges
3. Strengthen the community-based and development approach of the MHPSS response.

Outputs expected are:- Contribution to an implementation plan to address MHPPS gaps identified by the readiness assessment is developed jointly with the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) - MHPSS service delivery offered to beneficiaries at refugee health facilities and points specifically chosen to improve host community access- Strengthened capacity to identify, refer, treat and follow up severe mental disorders amongst affected communities- Promoted a sense of belonging in the Rohingya refugee community to restore social connections and well-being

Activities: Under outcome 1- Conduct a MHPSS services availability and readiness assessment- Provide support to the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) to develop an implementation plan to address MHPPS gaps
Under outcome 2- Establish specialized core MHPSS team dedicated to strengthening outreach services for Rohingya and host community members, including recruiting and training mental health professionals, making resources more physically accessible to beneficiaries, and raising awareness around mental health care- Organize comprehensive counselling training/mentoring programme for community health workers- Conduct mental health assessments that will help to identify those in need of specialized services- Conduct resource mapping on existing clinical assessment tools for mental health response, helping to identify gaps in resources for addressing beneficiary mental health conditions- Mental health professional will develop a culturally-validated tool informed by findings of resource mapping and mental health assessment- Mental health professional will train 25 mental health professionals in use and application of tool to provide special mental health services- Core Mental Health Team will train professionals and community-based workers to improve identification of those in need of mental health support, as well as techniques for strengthening referral pathways to assist in their care and improve the mental health response system.
Under outcome 3- Establish a Historical Memory Centre that is aimed at promoting community identity and local values; facilitating inter-generational dialogues by engaging children and young people with historical narratives; and finally, vindicating spiritual and cultural rituals that have been historically marginalized or prohibited- Develop a module on psychosocial development skills, targeting non-MHPSS professional community members of both host and refugee communities that are participating in other projects intended to improve livelihood opportunities or full realisation of their social rights.- Conduct 300 community-based activities to promote social-cohesion and integration, coordinating with other humanitarian actors such as UNHCR and UNICEF
The target groups are Rohingya refugees and host population in Cox's Bazar. The community-based activities will seek to empower women, older persons, youth, boys, and girls, as well as groups especially at-risk in contexts of economic, social, and political hardship.  In the districts of Ukhya and Teknaf  targeted populations will be children and youth (boys and girls), and older persons (men and women).  
The project intervention is expected to lead to that people living in Cox's Bazar, refugees and host population, will have improved access to mental health, which will hopefully prevent outbreak of more severe mental illness and help them to cope with the daily stressors in their daily life as well as to strengthen their capacity to plan for their future.