A capacity-building session focused on Ensuring Quality in Psychological Support (EQUIP) was held in Kingston, Jamaica on March 20, 2024. The session, facilitated by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), aimed to enhance the competence of helpers and improve the consistency and quality of training and service delivery. Dr. James Underhill of WHO led the three-hour workshop, which was attended by approximately 20 trainees.
The program’s implementation in Jamaica will use EQUIP to assess Problem Management Plus (PM+) competencies. Since its initiation in July 2022, 55 supervisors and 212 providers from at least 20 faith-based and community-based organizations have undergone training and provided support to at least 45 individuals in the community. Efforts are underway to further enhance the skills of individuals already working within communities.
Research has demonstrated that individuals who are not mental health specialists can effectively administer psychological interventions with proper training and supervision. The supervisors and providers who participated in the workshop are expected to be better prepared to integrate competency measures into the PM+ program. Competency-based training approaches have been successful in various healthcare areas in low-resource settings.
The training conducted will facilitate discussions on current strengths, identify potentially harmful behaviors, and pinpoint areas for improvement during the implementation of the PM+ program. Existing training and supervision plans will be personalized to ensure the delivery of better quality support.
PM+ is a scalable community intervention developed by the World Health Organization that employs a problem-solving approach to assist people in managing adversity and everyday challenges. It equips community members with the tools necessary to offer support to others who may be struggling to cope.
