Our Work
The Mental Health Support Group (MHSG) is a national level organisation of persons with psychosocial disabilities (OPD) in the Maldives, dedicated to the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities with a focus on psychosocial disabilities.
MHSG was founded in 2018 as a peer-support group and officially registered as a CSO in 2021. We are the first organisation in the Maldives founded and run by persons with psychosocial disabilities. Our website is the first in the Maldives to have accessibility features for persons with diverse disabilities.
Since our inception in 2018 as a peer-support group for persons with psychosocial disabilities and their friends and families, we have since expanded into a support network and rights-based organisation contributing to critical policies and legislation relevant to the rights of persons with disabilities.
Our many areas of work include:
- Providing peer support
- Assisting people in navigating and accessing the limited mental health care available
- Assisting people in navigating the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) process
- Working to ensure the rights of people with mental illnesses and psychosocial disabilities
- Helping individuals access justice
- Advocacy
- Contributing to relevant national legislation and policies
- Working with service providers and mental health professionals to improve accountability and reduce barriers to access to services
MHSG is also a full member of TCI (Transforming Communities for Inclusion) which is a membership based global Organization of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities that works for the empowerment of national OPDs of persons with psychosocial disabilities in more than 50 countries. Empowered by the extraordinary vision and guidance of the CRPD, TCI’s purpose is to situate itself at the centre of the cross-disability movements at the national, regional, and global levels, as a way to reclaim our dignity and autonomy, experience our independence and to realize our right to live in the community.
MHSG is also a member of the Global Anxiety Alliance.
MHSG works closely with other CSOs (including OPDs), mental health practitioners, institutions providing mental health services including the Center for Mental health (CMH) and private clinics in order to reduce barriers to access to mental health care and fill the gaps in the system.
Registration no: CR/7/2021
Board Members
Chairperson
Aminath Ula Ahmed
Vice-chairperson
Ahmed Aiman Shareef
General Secretary
Aminath Zeeshan Amir
Treasurer
Ali Shifan
Our Mission
- Protect and promote the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities in the Maldives.
- Raise awareness on psychosocial disabilities and well-being.
- Work to reduce discrimination and stigma towards persons with psychosocial disabilities.
- Work to reduce barriers to access to support services for psychosocial wellbeing and disabilities in the Maldives.
- Work towards ensuring the provision of psychosocial support services to every Maldivian available where they reside within Maldives.
- Advocate for respecting the dignity of persons with psychosocial disabilities and their right to be able to live independently within society.
- Work with the state, public and private psychosocial support service providers, CSOs and other relevant stakeholders to improve accountability and reduce barriers to access.