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There is no one way to assist people in their healing journey. Share, join, work with us, or just tell a friend. All of the roads will lead you to the same destination: soldiers, veterans, and families in South Sudan who receive the help they need.

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Closing South Sudan's mental health treatment gap

National Fair Outreach (NFO) is a specialized provider of mental health and psychosocial support services aimed at bridging one of the widest and most underfunded mental health gaps in the world.

The burden of mental health problems in South Sudan is significant. The South Sudan Health Cluster calculates that 5.1 million people are affected by the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, while the South Sudan Medical Journal estimates 204,000 people to be suffering from severe and 1,020,000 from mild-to-moderate mental health disorders. The humanitarian aid reaches fewer than 10,000 people annually; hence, there is about a 99% treatment gap. As for the security sector in particular, it suffers from stigma, lack of integrated clinical services, and PTSD and moral injury common among combatants and veterans.

Why This Matters to WHO's Mandate

Where clinical care meets the communities the health system has not yet reached

Health System Strengthening

We propose the development and integration of behavioral health centers in military and public organizations. It is an expansion rather than duplication of the national healthcare system.

Workforce Development

Our initiative teaches military counsellors to achieve the standards of competency and certification, precisely what WHO guidelines call for in their recommendations.

Evidence-based Clinical Care

The interventions NFO utilizes are based on tried and tested therapeutic approaches, such as CBT, DBT, CPT, TF-CBT, and PCIT. It is carried out by an interdisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors.

Addressing the Humanitarian Mental Health Gap Directly

Our target population is part of the larger population that WHO singles out as having a considerably higher prevalence of mental disorders in humanitarian emergencies. These are active-duty military, veterans, and military family members.

Our Track Record

NFO is a registered Psychological and Training Consultancy in South Sudan. We provide services in counselling, psychotherapy, family and group therapy, as well as military counselling. It includes psychological assessments, tests, and counseling in the adjustment process from deployment to a civilian lifestyle. NFO is the official NGO partner of the SCDVA and MODVA for MHPSS, and the organization was involved in providing clinical and technical support to the 5th RTNLA SCDVA Workshop on MHPSS, which was focused on PTSD and moral injury (August 2023).

What We Are Seeking from WHO

Technical assistance and quality assurance in counselling training based on the WHO mhGAP guidelines and similar requirements.
Support for screening and treatment of the distressed personnel, estimated by NFO based on their assessment programme.
Funding partnership in the costs involved in the training, consultation, and supervision of counsellors deployed in the barracks and cantonments across the country.

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