“A Ghana where every young woman affected by domestic violence and trauma has access to compassionate mental health support, empowering her to heal, rebuild, and thrive.”
That is the vision of a not-for-profit organisation based in Accra. Known as SAHM SAHW (Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women), the organisation aims to break the cycle of Domestic Violence and trauma through Mental Health support and crisis intervention.
Its mission is to provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
SAHM SAHW does this by creating safe spaces for healing and equipping clients with tools for empowered lives.
With “Healing minds, strengthening voices, transforming lives” as its credo, the organisation was established against the background that globally, 35% of women experience physical/sexual violence.
Also, in Ghana, available statistics indicate that 10.2% of women report intimate partner violence annually. This has mental health implications, thus over 1.5m suicide attempts are reported every year.
The situation is made more precarious given that in Ghana, few integrated Gender-Based Violence mental health services exist.
To support victims of domestic violence, SAHM SAHW provides three core services- Crisis Housing and Stabilization, Mental Health Services and Empowerment Programs.
With regard to Crisis Housing and Stabilization, SAHM SAHW offers 24-hour facility with rapid stabilization of victims. This includes; provision of immediate refuge and safe housing, professional monitoring, crisis assessment and counselling as well as psychiatric evaluation.
The Mental Health Services provided includes; counseling, group therapy and crisis intervention in addition to the Empowerment Programs such as Life skills, education and leadership development.
This is to ensure that the victims of domestic violence and trauma get out of the abusive situation they find themselves in.
“What I have realised is that most of the victims depend on the assailants economically. Therefore, it is difficult for them to get out of the abusive relationship as they do not know where the next meal would come from. However, when they are equipped with employable skills, they are able to live independent lives devoid of any harassment,” the Founder of SAHM SAHW, Dr Theresa Baffour explained.
“We founded this organisation based on a personal experience I had growing up. I witnessed a woman being subjected to beatings on a weekly basis in my neigbourhood. This influenced my pursuit of Mental Health as a profession. SAHM SAHW is therefore my way of giving back to the Ghanaian society in terms of contributing to end domestic violence and offer help to victims,” the Vice President of the Association of Ghanaian Nurses in New Jersey noted.
What makes SAHM SAWM standout when it comes to Mental Health care is that its founder is a thoroughbred Mental Health Nurse.
Dr. Theresa Baffour earned her RN, BSN degree from Seton Hall University, USA. She pursued her Master’s degree in Clinical Nurse Leadership at Rutgers University, USA, followed by a Doctorate degree in Executive Leadership from the same institution.
Owing to her deep love for Mental Health, Dr. Baffour obtained her Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) qualification from Wilkes University, USA after which she established her private practice named T & K Baffour Psychiatric Recovery Center in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA. Here, she provides compassionate, holistic care to clients with mental health needs.
It was therefore to make her expertise available to her compatriots in Ghana that SAHM SAHW was born.
“I am committed to provide education on the stigma associated with mental health in Ghana,” Dr Theresa Baffour assures.
Using a youth-centred approach, SAHM SAHW ensures teen-friendly environments for younger clients by providing safe spaces designed specifically for young people.
There is also peer-to-peer support, thus programs led by and for youth survivors. They also ensure that violence doesn’t disrupt the victim’s academic goals. And most importantly, the programs are culturally relevant. That is to say, programs that honor Ghanaian youth culture and values.
Located in South Odorkor Estates, SSNIT Flats, Accra, Ghana, all these services are rendered in a secure and therapeutic environment.
During the launch of SAHM SAHW in Accra under the auspices of the Ga Mantse Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, he commended the Management of organisation for such a humanitarian venture.
“This is for a great course; I’m very impressed by your initiative; I will fully support you to make SAHM SAHW successful in achieving your goals and I’m calling on my administration to collaborate with you to make your efforts a success in supporting women battling domestic violence and trauma,” Nii Ga pledged.
With core values such as Compassion, Empowerment, Dignity, Collaboration, and Crisis Responsiveness, SAHW SAHM provides compassionate, trauma-informed care tailored to the unique needs of each individual.
Interested persons can contact SAHW SAHM as follows:
Phone: Ghana: +233 54 403 8163 / USA: 908-584-8563
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Website: http://www.sahmsahw.org
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