Training Providers to Conduct PRIDES-sSA

Global mental health (MH) and substance use disorders prevention, treatment and research gaps require that efficacious treatments be scaled-up, leveraging existing platforms. In tandem, participation of Ministries ready to apply evidence-inform policies must sustain them over time. PRIDE SSA may generate templates for other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by conducting a state of the art scale up study in Mozambique and by establishing a collaborative research network of nascent research "Seed Teams." Such "Seed Teams," trained by the capacity building component, may work across the region to build capacity and conduct implementation research to sustainably scale-up MH services. Scale Up Research (Mozambique) in MH and substance use disorders will evaluate strategies and costs of scaling up an innovative, integrated, sustainable, stepped-care community approach. The scale up study will leverage: (1) Mozambique's task-shifting strategy of training psychiatric technicians (PsyTs) to provide MH care, (2) the WHO-funded epilepsy community care program successfully implemented in 5 Provinces, now primed for scale-up by the Health Ministry. The cost-effective approach redefines work roles without requiring new human resources. Importantly, it comports with the Health Ministry's plan to implement prevention and treatment for all MH conditions, rather than single disorders. The model employs evidence-based practices (EBPs; e.g. Psychopharmacology; Interpersonal Therapy), already in use by PsyTs to: a) establish a sustainable program delivered and supervised by non-MH professionals, overseen by MH specialists; b) provide community screening, care and/or referrals for all MH disorders; and c) use implementation tools to monitor sustainability. This collaborative network will scale-up a cost-effective, sustainable program and inform policy.