Seamless MHPSS Cross-Border Care

Globally, we are facing a dramatic increase in forceful displacement and migration. Among displaced populations, those who are on the move face greater difficulties in accessing services. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) are life-saving for those who have experienced extreme adversity before, during, and after migration. The Seamless MHPSS Cross-border Care (CBC) project seeks to identify viable solutions to create a continuum of care along migration routes.

The project consists of four stages:
1. What is known?
2. What is being done?
3. What is the community saying?
4. Co-design

Through these four stages, the Seamless MHPSS CBC project has attempted to address issues that prevent scale, quality and access to services, including: lack of trained providers, ignorance/non-adherence to MHPSS standards, lack of culturally grounded approaches, and exclusion from available supports due to legal status. Moreover, it will gain insights into the issues that prevent scaling and improving, by asking directly those that are transiting or have transited through the migration routes.

Update: The Seamless MHPSS CBC project has deepened our understanding of the key challenges organisations face in providing continuous and consistent support to youth and their families as well as the barriers youth and families experience in identifying and accessing this support. Through the project prototypes six interventions have been identified which have the potential to address these challenges and barriers: (1) connecting local and international organisations; (2) migrant support; (3) information hub website;(4) peer-to-peer support; (5) virtual counselling; and (6) listening stations. Most importantly, these interventions have been identified as essential needs and have the support of stakeholders. In order to continue with this work, it is essential that youth is brought on board as members of the development team and further testing and refinement of the prototype should take place prior to wider implementation and evaluation.

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