Nepal Institute of Mental Health
Background
A group of Nepali-origin mental health specialists working in the United States collaborated with a motivated group of public health specialists, psychologists, and psychiatrists in Nepal and formed a mental health focussed organization with the larger vision of developing a sustainable regional mental health ecosystem in Nepal that would be inclusive as well as universally accessible. Nepal Institute of Mental Health was formally inaugurated on 7th April, 2021.
NIOMH is laid on the principles and practices of implementing comprehensive approaches to sustainable developmental goals. This combined public and mental health initiative will focus on several key areas such as providing specialist mental health and primary care integrated service delivery, capacity building, mental health research, awareness generation, advocacy, and promotion of rights-based mental health care, with aims to make a strong impact in reducing the mental health care gap in Nepal. The overarching mission of the program is to provide quality mental health care accessible to all and by involving all. The program strives to include members from several disciplines, most prominent of which will be professionals from public health and mental health as well as non-mental health specialist health workers and people with lived experience of mental health.
Mission
● To build a national level mental health center with inpatient and outpatient services
● To implement quality mental health services, training, and research and develop sustainable mental health care in a regional eco-system
Vision
● Mental well-being is a universal concern and it should be made accessible to everyone
● To create a universally accessible and socially inclusive and sustainable mental health eco-system in Nepal
Objectives
Integrated Service Delivery: A national-level tertiary care mental health institution with service delivery integrated into the Primary care
Capacity-Building: Capacity building for specialist health workers and non-specialist workers, communities, and organizations through training and knowledge sharing.
Research: Discovery and implementation research for mental health prevention and treatment of local communities
Advocacy: Voice for MH policy implementation and reforms, a peer-based advocacy group
Awareness Generation: Create wider awareness of mental health using digital technologies and integrating mental health education in schools and communities
Human Rights/ Social Determinants of Health: Promoting rights-based mental health to all and particularly enhancing access to marginalized communities suffering from structural inequalities
We believe that every single person has the right to receive quality mental health care.