Summary
Organization name
Finemind
2020
Tax id (EIN)
84-5094465
Category
Mental Health & Crisis Intervention
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
9832 E FLORIDA PLAURORA, CO 80247
UG
Finemind transforms mental health care in Uganda by integrating stepped care—beginning with simple interventions and escalating as needed—into primary care. Our mission is to embed mental health into routine healthcare services, ensuring that community members receive support alongside physical health care.
Strategic Expansion Beyond Agago
With a successful model in Agago, we are now focusing on expanding into new districts, selecting those with strong leadership, values alignment, and a welcoming attitude towards our approach. Instead of broad coverage, we strategically deploy our model in 10 health facilities per district, allowing us to tailor interventions and build deep, meaningful relationships with each community.
Key Elements of Our Approach
Partnerships: Establish collaborations with selected health facilities, forming plans tailored to each location’s needs.
Training: Recruit Village Health Team (VHT) members and train health workers as mental health counselors using a stepped care model (IPC, PM+, and referral pathways).
Data and Reporting: Train health information assistants for quality data collection and accurate reporting, ensuring insights are shared with the Ministry of Health.
Community Engagement: Conduct awareness campaigns, radio talks, and stakeholder meetings to reduce stigma and gather ongoing feedback.
Policy Alignment: Maintain active dialogue with the Ministry of Health to ensure alignment with national policies and support advocacy efforts through participation in the MHPSS working group.
Our Vision
Our goal is to create a model that Uganda can scale nationally. By focusing on targeted facilities and learning from each district’s unique challenges, we aim to build a robust case for government adoption of Finemind’s integrated mental health approach.
Mission
Ensure mental health services are a routine part of general health services in Uganda
Background Statement
Globally, mental health conditions are among the leading causes of disability, with depression and anxiety contributing significantly to this burden. In Uganda, mental health disorders affect approximately 30% of the population, yet only 1% of the national healthcare budget is allocated to mental health services. This leaves vulnerable populations—particularly in underserved and crisis-affected regions—without access to care.
The center of Finemind’s efforts has been the Agago District in Uganda. It is an area that has suffered from years of civil war, genocide, refugee migration, humanitarian crisis and the AIDS epidemic, which has resulted in deep inter-generational trauma. In fact, the year the war ended, a study found that northern Uganda had the highest rate of post-traumatic stress (54%) and depression (67%) ever recorded among displaced and conflict-affected populations anywhere in the world. Even more shocking, it found that women were twice as likely to show symptoms of PTSD and four times as likely to have symptoms of depression. All these circumstances are linked in a vicious cycle with issues of poverty, poor education, inadequate healthcare and broken family structures. The people of Agago are continuing to face difficulties due to insufficient basic services and limited support.
In Ngora District, rural poverty exacerbates the mental health crisis. Limited access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare infrastructure amplifies stress and mental health challenges. While specific district-level data are scarce, patterns observed across rural Uganda highlight the prevalence of untreated depression, anxiety, and trauma. These issues affect community well-being and productivity.
In Yumbe District, the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement houses over 280,000 South Sudanese refugees, making it one of the largest refugee settlements globally. Residents endure profound mental health challenges stemming from conflict, displacement, and the struggle to rebuild in constrained living conditions. A recent report identified over 6,800 individuals battling mental health issues in Bidibidi, with high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation, particularly among adolescents.
Finemind operates from the premise that rebuilding community-wide mental health will lead to greater agency in the community, i.e. stronger, more capable individuals and families and eventually prosperous, thriving communities.
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Organization Data
AURORA, CO 80247