Training in Liberia

In April, the Tributaries Mental Health Team will be in Liberia.
Along with Guinea and Sierra Leone, Liberia endured a deadly Ebola outbreak 2014-2016. The terrifying disease killed 11,310 people and 16,000 children lost parents or caregivers. Still, Liberia has only one registered psychiatrist. With so much loss and few resources, how can people get the counseling they need?

Church leaders are responding to the need for mental health care and counseling. Churches are prominent meeting places where people turn in times of crisis. They are strategic points for sharing helpful information and services. Thirty church leaders trained previously by Mercy Ships will get additional training and the newest edition of the mental health manual, Understanding People, Mental Health, and Trauma. This new resource will help them build capacity among their networks and in communities that have not had access to care. Church leaders will also learn to use Baby Finds Grace, a storybook resource designed to help children who have experienced grief and trauma. Leaders will also begin a children’s program.

Photo by Mark Fischer

Sources: WHOUNICEF

Scroll to Top