Pillar 2: Enable a more accountable, evidence-based and inclusive response in the delivery of mental health services and data collection in underserved areas for Embrace. ltpgtltspan style="font-family:"gtThe National Lifeline
in Lebanon provides emotional support and suicide prevention, but in recent
years, it has also played a significant role in coordinated response and
increasing information on accountability and inclusion in humanitarian
activities. The current situation in Lebanon has worsened the impact of
social and economic factors on mental health. In 2022, the Lifeline received
12,481 calls, a 1.3-fold increase from the previous year, indicating a greater
need for its services. Around 18% of these calls involved individuals seeking
referrals for humanitarian services, which can act as a risk factor for mental
wellbeing. The Lifeline serves as a main source of orientation for
beneficiaries accessing mental health and non-mental health services, including
protection, livelihood, and cash assistance. With funding from LHF in 2022, the
Lifeline launched more focused social work activities and a dedicated MEAL
officer to improve the quality of humanitarian response. Data analysis shows
that the National Lifeline successfully orients 57% of calls
requesting referral information, with 69% being referred to non-profit
organizations. However, some community needs, such as shelters for specific
populations, remain limited or unavailable, decreasing successful referral
rates. Moreover, only 39% of the referrals granted are accessed, with
challenges like the service not responding, the service not following- up
with the beneficiary, an inconvenience in the location of the service, a
long waiting list or the service ceasing its activities. These findings
provide valuable evidence to strengthen inclusion and accountability in the
humanitarian sector and guide future investments. lt/spangtltbrgtlt/pgtltpgt

lt/pgtltp style="mso-margin-top-alt:automso-margin-bottom-alt:auto" class="MsoNormal"gtltspan style="font-size:10.5ptfont-family:" lang="EN-US"gtThe increase in calls
to the Lifeline also reflects an increase in callers identifying stressors,
major life events, and mental distress as risk factors for their mental health.
Callers are increasingly requesting referrals to specialized mental health services,
even when the primary need is for non-mental health services. Dissatisfaction
among callers with low-rated satisfaction is linked to limited access to
specialized mental health services due to resource constraints. These
limitations, including lack of phone credit and transportation costs, decrease
the capacity to build sustainable mental health systems across Lebanon.
Therefore, projects are needed to strengthen access and coordination
among existing localized services.  lt/spangtlt/pgtltpgt

lt/pgtltp style="mso-margin-top-alt:automso-margin-bottom-alt:auto" class="MsoNormal"gtltspan style="font-size:10.5ptfont-family:" lang="EN-US"gtWhile localized mental
health services are available within identified networks of Primary Health Care
Centers PHCCs under the National Mental Health Program, local communities find
diverse challenges to accessing them. From follow up calls with Lifeline
beneficiaries, these challenges are beginning to become more apparent to actors
in the field for respective response plans. Low mental health literacy is apparent
and particularly in remote areas where a limited understanding of mental
illness, symptoms, the role of mental health professionals and beliefs of treatment
negatively impact local communities’ intentions to seek mental health services.
Furthermore, false perceptions of waiting time, availability of services and
professionals and the cost of care are all evidence-based factors found to
decrease a sense of capacity to continue care which in turn results in reluctance
to access care to begin with. Based on these field findings, Embrace has mobilized
awareness and outreach efforts and a clinical professional to remote areas with
limited mental health literacy and proximity to PHCCs with mental health services.
Awareness sessions, psychiatric assessments, and orientation to longer-term
care within a 20-minute travel parameter will be offered to diverse communities
across Lebanon. This project’s activities are tracked with monitoring and
evaluation follow- up calls to collect feedback on experiencing and quality of
services increasing accountability and inclusion from vulnerable populations. lt/spangtlt/pgtltpgt

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