Approach

Building Community

Quarantines, racism, and toxic politics have made it all too clear here in the US that empowering residents and improving the mental health of our communities requires empowering residents and building connections in communities, not in doctors’ offices. In the resource poor settings where BasicNeeds’ programs operate, community development is essential for sustainable efforts to promote well-being. Since 1999, the network of BasicNeeds’ programs has developed tools for low income communities around the world to build community capacity, empower sustainable self-help groups, generate income through micro-grants and community banking, and improve access to community health services. We have developed community mental health treatment and supports where there are no mental health professionals.

The lessons from our communities are profound. The ongoing work of our programs and partners in Kenya, Ghana, and our pilot efforts in Detroit demonstrated the significance of community animation and resilience for local action. Here in the US, improved community mental health will not come from more training, more staff and then more clinical visits. Those are necessary but not sufficient. We need to invest in and strengthen the connections among our community leaders.

Change begins with increased understanding; listening and connecting to colleagues; storytelling, animation, participatory needs assessments and participatory research. These are simple tools local groups can use to develop collective goals. They are the foundation for collective action.