The wellbeing project
Association of Care Leavers Uganda and Child's i 's youth well being project
In Uganda, where mental health needs receive only 1% of the national health budget, an innovative approach was taken to integrate mental health and well-being support for at-risk children and vulnerable youth. The project aimed to empower young people with lived experience of care and those who have experienced trauma through a peer-led network. The intervention involved using videos and guidebooks to provide knowledge on mental health and has the potential to revolutionize how mental health services can be extended to those in greatest need, despite limited resources. The project has demonstrated impact in improving mental health literacy, resilience, psychosocial support, and wellbeing practice, as well as improving mental health, well-being, self-esteem/self-worth, and depression symptom severity among children and youth.
The project is supported by Grand Challenges Canada and involves a toolkit for young people in the community and young adults with lived experience of institutional care. The accessible video series and guidebook are designed to provide tools for families, social workers, and youth-serving organizations to start important, non-judgmental conversations about mental health and well-being. The project has trained care-experienced youth to become "well-being champions" who provide peer well-being support to 1,170 youth in their communities. Social work practitioners and youth-serving professionals have also been trained to use the toolkit to support the children and young people they serve. The project serves as a pilot for broadening the impact of the resources nation and region-wide.
The pilot intervention was implemented for over 18 months, and a proof of concept study was conducted in two phases. The first phase established the status before the intervention (baseline), and the second phase aimed to establish the level of change as a result of the intervention. Structured interviews were conducted with young people with lived experience of care, community youths, and social workers. The study shows evidence of improvement in knowledge and understanding of a trauma-informed approach to addressing mental health needs among youths by social workers, as well as clinically meaningful improvement in mental health, well-being, self-esteem/self-worth, and depression symptom severity among children and youths. The project has great potential for creating awareness and skills about mental health, enhancing mental well-being, and improving quality of life through the use of problem-solving interventions delivered through peer support. Additionally, the project has shown that it is possible to withdraw children from institutional care and support their transition and placement within families and communities, creating pathways for reintegration in a more dignified and meaningful way.
Watch the promo video here - Video