In March 2024, a capacity-building session was held in Kingston, Jamaica by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) to enhance the competencies of helpers in providing psychological support. Led by Dr. James Underhill of WHO, the workshop aimed to improve the quality of training and service delivery. Around 20 trainees participated in the three-hour session.
The EQUIP program will be used to assess the competencies of Problem Management Plus (PM+) during its implementation in Jamaica. Since its launch in July 2022, 55 supervisors and 212 providers from various faith-based and community-based organizations have been trained and have provided support to 45 individuals in the community. Efforts are underway to further enhance the skills of individuals already working within communities.
Research has shown that individuals who are not mental health specialists can effectively deliver psychological interventions with proper training and supervision. By participating in the workshop, supervisors and providers are expected to integrate competency measures into the PM+ program more effectively. Competency-based training approaches have proven successful in healthcare settings with limited resources.
The training will enable discussions on strengths, identify potentially harmful behaviors, and identify areas for improvement during the PM+ program implementation. Training and supervision plans will be tailored to ensure high-quality support is provided to those in need. PM+ is a scalable community intervention developed by the World Health Organization, utilizing a problem-solving approach to help individuals manage challenges and adversities in everyday life. The goal is to equip community members with the necessary tools to support others who may be struggling to cope effectively.
