Improving Mental Health Care in Kenya

Earlier this year Steve Epstein, MD, Chair of Psychiatry at Georgetown School of Medicine  was in Eldoret for three weeks.

He supervised  two Georgetown Psychiatry residents and one IU child Psychiatry fellow.

The main challenge was the physician strike that extended throughout our stay. As a result they could not teach registrars or students. They did provide extensive supervision for Psychiatry clinical officers which  they felt to be valuable.

They also offered daily consultation Psychiatry rounds on the medical units leading to coordination of care with and education of Medicine residents and they 

 also continued ongoing research mentoring and supervision of Dr Edith Kwobah for her community Psychiatry efforts. This supervision continues throughout the year through periodic electronic and telephone communications.

While in Eldoret DR. Epstein also met weekly and provided care with Lillian Rono, the psychiatric nurse at Mosoriot.

During these past few months, the AMPATH Mental Health program has been coordinating with fellows and potential faculty members who are interested in joining next year’s trip.  There are two faculty members and three fellows, as well as one other fellow from IU, who would span Brown University’s trip in February and Dr. Steve Epstein’s trip in March.  A commitment by the fellows and faculty members is expected by September 2017, and at that point, the potential participants will meet with Dr. Keller and Dr. Walters to begin monthly preparation meetings.  The plan is to continue to focus on providing consultation for child psychiatry services.  Among the many goals for next year’s trip are:

• Begin liaison to local schools with psychiatric nurse from Mosoriot
• Lay groundwork for collaboration between pediatrics, psychiatry, and neurology for ASD screening
• Consult on new children’s inpatient and outpatient services as needed
• Continue liaison with Child Life services.
• Establish DBT/CBT skills training for staff at Tumaini shelter and run eight group sessions for boys.

 As an additional note, Dr. Jill Welte and Dr. Walters are presenting a talk titled: Global child and adolescent psychiatry:  Reflections from Kenya, March 2017 at child psychiatry grand rounds in September.