SAFMH contributed to an article published by Spotlight, featured in Daily Maverick, to raise awareness about how mental health needs of children in South Africa are sorely neglected.
Bharti Patel, national executive director of SAFMH says in the article: “The healthcare clinics in all districts are meant to provide mental health services as well as physical health services. Schools are also supposed to have support teams accessible where teachers can reach out for assistance with screening of children and adolescents for mental health conditions. Many NGOs are also accessible to communities where parents and young children can access information and counselling.”
However, while our national mental health policy framework provides for the needs of children and adolescents, the policy does not provide for resource allocation. “This has resulted in poor implementation of the policy at a provincial level”.
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