Gaza Community Mental Health Programme-Strategic Plan support 2022-2024

Support GCMHP in Gaza to provide specialized and holistic mental health services to vulnerable population and promote mental. health rights. GCMHP was established in 1990 as a non-government organization (NGO) in Palestine to introduce community mental healthcare to Gaza and provide specialized mental health and psychosocial services guided by the principles of justice and human rights. GCMHP aims to improve the mental health sector in the Gaza Strip through awareness raising, education, capacity building, scientific research, advocacy, lobbying, mobilization, treatment, and rehabilitation activities.GCMHP focuses on offering specialized community mental health services and is considered a resource in the mental health field for other community-based organizations (CBOs) in Gaza, the Ministry of Health, and UNRWA. GCMHP's mission is: 'Guided by the principles of justice and human rights, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme provides gender sensitive, inclusive, integrated, and specialized community mental health services in Palestine'.Sweden has supported GCMHP's previous strategic period of 2019-2021 along with the Norwegian Representative Office and the Swiss Development Cooperation. The focus of the 2019-2021 strategic period was on improving the mental health of the population in the Gaza Strip through providing access to specialized mental health services.The focus for GCMHP in the upcoming strategic period 2022-2024 is on designing programs and interventions that promote and facilitate the access of the most vulnerable groups to mental health services, especially youth and people with disabilities (PwDs). This is in addition to upgrading and digitalization of a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning-MEAL system, and conducting relevant trainings for staff. Seeking partnerships with international and regional academic institutions and specialized centers and introducing a new (self-help) approach reaching larger population. GCMHP will focus on enhancing the use of modern technology in the implementation of the Programme’s long distance and face-to-face activities as well as enhancing action and updating policies related to feedback and complaints policy including protection of sexual abuse and exploitation issues (PSEA).The type of support to GCMHP from Sweden is core support. The intervention entails Sweden's contribution to GCMHP's core budget to work towards the following three strategic goals: 1. contribute to improving the mental health situation of the population in the Gaza Strip; 2. contribute to developing the mental health and psychosocial sector in the Gaza Strip; and 3. contribute to anchoring human rights-based principles and practices, reducing violence and promoting community resilience. Throughout the years, GCMHP strengthened its role as a leading organization in the fields of mental health and human rights through the provision of gender-sensitive, inclusive, evidence-based quality services, and being sensitive and responsive to the needs. Those needs were increasing as the living conditions in Gaza deteriorated over decades of occupation and continuous violations of human rights. In May and June 2021 several needs assessment reports stressed the need for special mental health services focusing on vulnerable groups specifically children and women. These assessments were prepared just after the 4th large scale offensive on Gaza (within 13 years) came to an end. Those reports, the evaluation recommendations, and internationally recommended practices helped shape GCMHP’s 6th Strategic Plan.