Development Ratings

BasicNeeds’ work addresses a range of conditions: severe mental illness conditions include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; depression can range from mild to severe, affecting functioning; epilepsy is a neurological condition that is often treated by mental health specialists and so is included under BasicNeeds’ programmes; in addition, severe conditions can undermine a family carer’s ability to work and function. BasicNeeds uses a model known as the Model for Mental Health and Development. The model addresses mental illness issues as well as the poverty surrounding it. It does this through complementary programmes:

• Community Mental Health: Mental health camps provide access to psychiatric diagnosis, cost-effective treatment, and services. Group therapy sessions are held as well as community meetings and advocacy. Local primary health care staff are trained so that local ministries can build long-term care systems and spread the coverage. Local volunteers are used to ensure that each mentally ill person takes the correct medication and dosage, and any side effects can be monitored. Traditional healers are often consulted first about mental illness - they may have success using a counselling approach but BasicNeeds advises and trains them to seek additional treatment for more complex cases.

• Capacity Building: Meetings and training sessions are held to develop the ability of NGOs, partners, communities, traditional healers and health workers to identify, understand, treat and care for people with mental illness. Mentally ill people are consulted on their treatment and integration back into their communities. Self help groups support daily coping and recovery, and lobby for recognition of their rights with the authorities. BasicNeeds’ international training centre trains development workers in dealing with the mental trauma caused during disasters. Development of the management and administration systems of local partner helps them be more effective in helping beneficiaries.

• Sustainable Livelihoods: Training and help is provided in learning skills and finding work. Micro-credit can help start up small businesses such as animal rearing, trading or running a shop. Groups are taught about savings and how to access government poverty alleviation schemes. Horticulture projects help with developing decision making and life skills as well as providing food, income and therapy.

• Research: The Bangalore-based research centre links field practice with policy and advocacy work. It gathers and shares knowledge from BasicNeeds’ own and other mental health programmes. The life stories of mentally ill people are collected and analysed to identify problems and build up patterns, examples and solutions. These are communicated back to communities and used to improve programmes. Research has been presented to bodies such as the WHO to influence policy development. Manuals are produced on mental health care. Mentally ill people often feel liberated to know they are not the only one with the problem that affects them.

BasicNeeds works in Ghana, India, Tanzania, Uganda, Sri Lanka and Kenya, and has new small programmes in Lao PDR and Colombia. BasicNeeds India is an independent trust which is self-supporting as of early 2009. BasicNeeds is developing a franchising approach to replicate the model in other countries and regions. The plan is to extend the reach to many more people under the system and for this to be a self-financing strategy