PSS Forum 2021 Concept Note

Over the last decade REPSSI has convened five regional gatherings or Psychosocial Support Forums to share experience, knowledge, issues, research on more effective ways of promoting the mental and psychosocial wellbeing of children and youth. This has proven to be an effective platform to engage and share new mental
health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) trends. As new challenges arise, such as COVID-19 and climate change, and commitments such as the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 focus our energy on the need to reach all girls, boys and youth, so we need to sharpen psychosocial support (PSS) lesson sharing and reflection to achieve effective knowledge exchange for enhanced services and programmes. Opportunities and platforms to engage and share new PSS trends with stakeholders are imperative. Since 2011, REPSSI has held five Regional Psychosocial Support Forums which have been attended by over 1,800 participants. The forums were held in South Africa (2011), Kenya (2013), Zimbabwe (2015), Tanzania (2017) and Namibia (2019). These forums created opportunities for policy makers, researchers, youth, practitioners, and media representatives to share evidence and promising practices, discuss challenges and develop new solutions, to influence policy formulation and enhance programming.