Gaza Community Mental

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Gaza Community Mental
Health Programme
( GCMHP )
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• Our Vision
• A Palestinian society that respects human
  rights, the value of law and in which people live
  in dignity, free of oppression, and feel that
  their well-being is promoted
• Our Mission
• To develop GCMHP as knowledge-based institution
  to enhance the capacity of the community in
  dealing with mental health problems based on the
  principles of justice, humanity, and respect for
  human rights.
• Our Strategy
• To develop the mental well-being of the
  Palestinian community in Gaza through working
  with three major target groups children, women,
  and victims of organized violence.

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• General Information
• The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme
  (GCMHP) is a Palestinian non-governmental,
  non-profit organization established in 1990 to
  provide comprehensive community mental health
  services - therapy, training and research - to
  the population of the Gaza Strip.
• Gaza Strip - one of the most densely populated
  areas in the world, with two thirds of the
  population being refugees and 50 being younger
  than 16 years has witnessed extreme forms of
  violence and suffering, due to occupation and
  military operations. This made the extent of
  mental health problems in the Gaza reach
  unprecedented levels.

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• Today, after 15 years, GCMHP remains the leading
  organization in Palestine in providing
  psycho-social programs, adopting a comprehensive,
  community based approach for working with
  children, women and victims of human rights
  violations.

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• Mission / Aims
• Over the years, GCMHP has become a knowledge
  based institution, a resource for the whole
  community. This means, that in addition to
  providing services GCMHP is enhancing the
  community's capacity in dealing with mental
  health problems.
• The main objectives of the GCMHP are to
• Empower vulnerable groups in the society,
  especially women, children and torture survivors.
• Develop local human resources through mental
  health training programs
• Provide humane and high quality community- based
  mental health services.

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• Promote principles of democracy and human rights
  in the Palestinian society.
• Combat the stigma attached to mental illness in
  the Palestinian society.
• Influence the political and legal environment in
  and outside Palestine to respect Palestinian
  human rights and promote their mental well-being.
  
• To achieve these goals, we must intensify our
  efforts to reach out to the people until today,
  over 17,000 people have taken part in our
  programs. Hundreds of workshops and public
  meetings on mental health and human rights issues
  have been conducted. GCMHP is expanding its
  advocacy and networking, cooperating with other
  Palestinian and international governmental and
  non-governmental organizations.

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• Over twenty research studies on children, women
  and human rights issues have been published on
  different psycho-social aspects of Palestine
  life. The aims of our research are to evaluate
  our work, to find out about the impact of GCMHP's
  work on the community, and to explore further
  needs of the community for assistance in mental
  health issues. In addition to study different
  aspects and factors in the psychosocial and
  biological environment.
• To expand parts of knowledge and professionalism
  within the community, GCMHP offers, in
  cooperation with Islamic University in Gaza, a
  Post-Graduate Diploma in Community Mental Health
  unique of its kind in the region. Every year,
  about 15 graduates finish their studies on
  Community Mental Health and human rights, most of
  them starting to work on mental health or
  psycho-social issues in the local community.

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• Working Fields
• GCMHP provides mental health services with
  special emphasis on vulnerable groups such as
  children, women and victims of torture.
• Children
• Since little Ahmad's home in Beit Hanoun was
  demolished, he doesn't want to play outside
  anymore
• GCMHP professionals provide trauma counseling for
  him and his family
• The children's team provides therapeutic and
  preventive services to reduce the level of mental
  health related problems. The team's work includes
  the therapeutic approach of play therapy as well
  as community activities with parents, teachers,
  school counselors, and other professionals
  working with children. Advocacy on children's
  rights is taking place, both locally and
  internationally, to protect them from violence.

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• Women
• Fatima, whose husband is in prison, has to raise
  her seven children alone
• WEP professionals provide psycho-social support
  for Fatima and her family
• The Women's Empowerment Project (WEP) is
  providing rehabilitation, psychological care and
  training, and other services to women who come to
  one of our three centers, seeking help for a wide
  range of problems, such as health issues, family
  planning, early marriage or violence against
  them. In addition, WEP is active in raising
  women's awareness in political issues such as
  elections, political participation and other
  legal and political issues.

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• Human Rights
• Kamal, an ex-detainee who has experienced torture
  in prison, still suffers from nightmares and fear
  
• GCMHP professionals help Kamal to overcome his
  trauma
• GCMHP is giving special consideration to
  Palestinian victims of human rights violations,
  particularly those who have experienced detention
  in prison and its accompanying torture, both at
  the physical and psychological level.
• We strongly believe that there is a correlation
  between human rights and mental health, because
  sound mental health cannot be gained under
  violent or oppressive circumstances, and human
  rights will not be respected in a society exposed
  to ongoing trauma.

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• To alleviate the impact of torture and organized
  violence in the Gaza Strip, GCMHP helps victims
  coping with traumatic experiences build the
  community professionals' capacity to deal with
  the effects of imprisonment and torture and works
  towards preventing human rights violations.
• GCMHP staff also conducts visits to prisoners.
  Not only intervention sessions for prisoners are
  conducted, but also training, education and
  awareness is provided for officers and staff.
  Improving the conditions in prisons is part of
  the campaigns to advocate for prisoners' human
  rights issues.