High-level Engagement
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UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Conversation with UN Secretary General

Secretary-General António Guterres had a three-way video call with frontline mental health workers, Mr. Umair Bachlani in Pakistan and Ms. Charlene Sunkel (GMHPN Founder/CEO) in South Africa. The conversation revolved around the impact of the COVID pandemic on mental health.

WHO Guidance and Technical Packages on Community Mental Health Services

Our Founder/CEO, Charlene Sunkel, was involved in the review process and participated in the launch on 10 June 2021.

The WHO Guidance on community mental health services: Promoting person-centred and rights-based approaches is a set of publications that provides information and support to all stakeholders who wish to develop or transform their mental health system and services to align with international human rights standards including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health UK

We participated in engagement sessions and interviews to provide our perspectives in light of the development of this new report titled "New Directions for the Mental Health Workforce Globally" by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health (UK).
Local & Global Engagement

Lived experience mentoring

Our Deputy CEO, Ms Claudia Sartor, and GMHPN mentor, Mr Syd Gravel, presented on the power of lived experience in research at a mentoring programme at the University of Illinois, Chicago, in June 2023.

MHPSS in Infectious Disease Response

GMHPN representatives, Basma Tolba from Egypt and Claire Kaylo from Kenya presenting the outcome of our lived experience engagement session on integrating mental health psychosocial support interventions in the response of infectious diseases at a workshop in Cairo - an initiative from LSHTM, UK Health Security Agency and USJ. Well done team!​

Engaging with government

Deputy CEO, Claudia Sartor, representing lived experience on a team of experts to consider and integrate public comments on the draft regulations for licensing community mental health day care and residential care facilities for people with Severe Mental Health Conditions and/or Severe or Profound Intellectual Disability , in South Africa, led by National Department of Health.
Representation

What are we up to ...

Announcement
Our Founder/CEO, Charlene Sunkel and Prof Rochelle Burgess, was appointed as Co-Editors in Chief of PLOS Mental Health.

Congratulations to PLOS on its new [PLOS Mental Health] journal.

PLOS Mental Health is a global, multidisciplinary, Open Access journal that will bring research not only to the scientific community, but to the broader stakeholder community who are able to utilize evidence in efforts to promote and protect mental health and well-being of all people.

Being Council
Being is an international mental health initiative, working toward a world where young people feel well and thrive. It is hosted by Grand Challenges Canada in partnership with Fondation Botnar, United for Global Mental Health, Global Affairs Canada and The UK’s Department of Health and Social Care using UK aid through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). 

GMHPN Founder/CEO, Charlene Sunkel, serves on the Being’s Council which provide global expert advice on the strategy and direction of Being.

HBGI Lived Experience Council

Healthy Brains Global Initiative (HBGI) fully embeds the perspectives of people most affected by mental and neurological health research in both its strategy and action.

The HBGI Lived Experience Council, brings together people with lived experience across a wide variety of ages, locations, conditions, and ethnicities to help build HBGI from the bottom-up.

Our Founder/CEO, Charlene Sunkel, along with a few other of our members, serve on the Lived Experience Council.