The Ministry of Health (MINSA), in collaboration with Socios En Salud (SES), has taken an important step in strengthening community mental health care with the delivery of a new technical guide for Community Mental Health Centers (CSMCs). This document, developed with technical advice from SES, is specifically aimed at people with severe mental disorders and psychosocial problems, and seeks to ensure continuity of care in these cases.
Since 2021, Socios En Salud has worked closely with MINSA’s Mental Health Directorate in the development of this guide, responding to a request from that entity to implement a specialized program for people with chronic mental disorders. This joint effort has allowed the design of a normative document that, with a scientific evidence base and practical recommendations, becomes an essential tool for the work in CSMCs.
The elaboration process was complex, especially in the post-pandemic context, which imposed additional challenges for the technical team in charge. A period in which Socios En Salud played a key role thanks to its ongoing advice. “The collaboration of SES with the Mental Health Directorate has been since the elaboration process through a consultancy,” highlighted Victoria Isabel Peña, member of the MINSA technical team.
La Dra. Carmen Contreras, directora del Programa de Salud Mental de Socios En Salud, entrega la guía técnica de continuidad de cuidado para personas con trastornos mentales graves y/o problemas psicosociales de riesgo a July Caballero, directora ejecutiva de la Dirección de Salud Mental del Minsa.
Foto de Julio López / SES
A guide with national scope
This new guide has a national scope and will be implemented in CSMCs throughout the country. As explained by Dr. Carmen Contreras, director of the SES Mental Health Program, the process of distributing and disseminating the document is only an intermediate step, as the challenge now is to ensure that health teams in the regions can effectively implement the recommendations in their daily interventions. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the mental health system, ensuring that people with schizophrenia, psychosis and other serious disorders receive comprehensive, quality care in their communities.
One of the highlights of this guide is its community focus. SES has emphasized the importance of people affected by chronic mental disorders, especially those in vulnerable situations, feeling welcomed in their communities and receiving the support they need to improve their quality of life. “We believe that Socios En Salud is lending a hand so that the entire intervention process is at the most community levels, and that the most vulnerable population feels more welcome,” said Contreras.
The delivery of this guide marks the beginning of a broader process of implementation and training in health centers. The next steps include the formation of work teams in each CSMC, as well as awareness-raising and education activities in the communities, with the aim of reducing the stigma associated with mental disorders and ensuring that affected people can access the health services they need.
