Working with families with children with disabilities can be emotionally challenging, and those facilitating caregiver support groups need support themselves. This webinar explored insights and learnings from those working in the caregiving field, examining the importance of providing mentorship and emotional support to facilitators running caregiver support groups.
The session included two presentations. Friendship Bench showcased the support and mentorship structures used within their mental health programme. Friendship Bench is a community-based mental health intervention, originating in Zimbabwe, that uses trained lay health workers to provide problem-solving therapy to individuals struggling with mental health issues, particularly depression. A mental health practitioner from Uganda then explored practical coping strategies that can be used to support facilitators’ own and others’ emotional wellbeing. The session closed with a Q&A allowing participants to share experiences and learning.
Attendees gained insight into the importance of providing mentorship and support to facilitators working with families and caregiver groups, practical strategies to support emotional wellbeing, and had the opportunity to share experiences with a global expert panel.
Speakers
- Tiny Tinashe Kamvura, Research Coordinator, Friendship Bench
- Derek Kikabi, Psychiatric Clinical Officer, Kiwoko Hospital, Uganda Adara Development
A recording of this webinar is available to watch on the LSHTM events page – select “Watch the recording” to view it.