(Volume 4) - Mental Health Disorders - Vula - University of Cape Town

III Mental Health Services1. Improve school-based mental health services.2. Develop and implement workplace mental health programmes.3. Develop and implement home-visiting interventions for new parents inhigh-risk areas.4. Invest in media campaigns to increase mental health literacy(knowledge about mental health and illness) and decrease stigma.5. Integrate mental health services into general medical services andmake adequate provision for: human resources, training, facilities,protocols and information management.6. Ensure mental health facilities are available at secondary and tertiaryhospitals, which should include the appointment of all relevantspecialists and sub-specialists.7. Employ more dedicated mental-health professionals at generalhospitals and in outpatient services.8. Provide dedicated mental health professionals and resources tomaternal, HIV and trauma services.9. Build community mental health services (as described in this report).10.Utilise a continuous care model for the management of patients.11.Establish a Mental Health Information System.IV Trauma1. All health services must be trauma-informed and competent.2. Increase the number of trauma-competent mental-health staff ingeneral medical services.3. Develop an adequate referral network across sectors.4. Train mental-health professionals in trauma-focused psychotherapyand pharmacotherapy.5. Ensure sufficient mental-health services are provided.6. Develop resources for the emergency placement of trauma survivorswho may require such placement to ensure their safety.7. Develop critical-incident stress-management programmes inworkplaces with high trauma exposures.8. Prevent retraumatisation: train occupational groups working withtrauma victims (police, lawyers, and district surgeons) in methods ofdealing with trauma victims.9. Develop post-graduate training programmes in trauma.10. Disaster plans should include a detailed psycho-social response plan.- 9 -