Victims and survivors of war have suffered terrible atrocities in their countries of origin. Having survived torture, sexual violence, the murder of family members, forced migrants often suffer from grief, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and other mental illnesses. The process of fleeing and searching for asylum usually adds to the anguish and trauma forced migrants endure. Once in Uganda, they do not have access to resources and social support networks, which further exposes them to abuse, exploitation and disease. 

The Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing Programme provides forced migrants with the psychosocial and mental health assistance they need to cope with the trauma of the past and meet the demands of life in Uganda.

• The Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing Programme engages in the following activities: 
• Individual, family and group counselling 
• Home visits and follow-up assessments to identify needs and conduct needed interventions
• Outreach to host communities, schools, prisons and other institutions that interface with forced migrants
• Capacity building and psychosocial trainings for clients and institutions that provide services to forced migrants 
• Research and advocacy on emerging psychosocial and mental health issues 

With all of these activities, we attempt to harness the power and individual capacity of each forced migrant in order to empower him/her to be actively involved in his/her healing journey. We also encourage people who have undergone similar experiences to support and empower each other as they heal and adapt to new environments.  The programme works closely with RLP’s Refugee Support Groups and partners with other organizations in the mental health field in Uganda. 

By providing lifesaving mental health assistance to RLP’s clients, we expand the capacity of the entire organization to support the healing and recovery of forced migrants.