Approach

Building Community Mental Health

Quarantines, racism, and toxic politics have made it all too clear here in the US that improving the mental health of our communities requires empowering residents and building connections in communities, not in doctors’ offices. In the resource poor settings where BasicNeeds’ programs operate, community development is essential for sustainable efforts to promote well-being. Since 1999, programs in the BasicNeeds’ Network have developed a community of practice for use in low income communities around the world. Using the BasicNeeds model, we build community capacity, mobilize sustainable community support groups, generate income through micro-grants and community banking, and improve access to community health services. We have developed community mental health treatment and supports where there are no mental health professionals.

The lessons from groups and leaders in each of our communities are profound. Our programs and partners in Kenya, Ghana, and our pilot efforts in Detroit demonstrated the significance of community connections and village banking for local action. BasicNeeds Vietnam recently demonstrated the efficacy of evidence based Behavioral Activation techniques with depression support groups for women. Here in the US, improved community mental health will not come from more training, more credentialed staff and then more clinical visits. Those are necessary but not sufficient. We need to invest in and strengthen the connections among our community leaders by creating incentives for collaboration and community health, developing collective power and ownership of community assets and using targeted micro-grants to support these collective efforts. Sustaining shared purpose and mutual support one group at a time.