When Dr. Zephon Lister and Dr. Kimberly Freeman from the School of Behavioral Health were awarded the Loma Linda University GRASP International grant, it marked the beginning of an inspiring journey of partnership and collaboration between two continents, three countries, and four institutions. In partnership with the Adventist University of Africa, this project seeks to enhance mental health, family functioning, and resilience in Kenya and Sierra Leone through an innovative task-shifting strategy. Their plan? To harness the expertise of non-specialist behavioral health workers, training them to implement the Community Resiliency Model-informed Families, Schools, and Community Engaged Together (FaSCET) program. With prior success in Sierra Leone, the team was eager to replicate and adapt the program in Kenya, addressing the unique needs of teachers, parents, and children.
The project had two primary objectives: first, to assess how well non-specialist behavioral health workers could train their peers in Kenya. This would be measured through the resiliency, mental well-being, and quality of life of the participants, as well as the fidelity and quality improvement of the task-shifting strategy. The second objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the FaSCET program among 5th graders in four schools across Kenya and Sierra Leone. This would involve assessing outcomes such as resiliency, behavior, family functioning, and mental well-being for teachers, students, and parents. These goals are ambitious, but the dedicated team was ready to meet the challenge head-on.
The team included experts from both Sierra Leone and Kenya. From Sierra Leone, program coordinator Peter Abdulrahman Turay, along with team members Princess Crowther, Sanfa Francis Kamara, James Abu, and Abubakarr Kargbo joined forces with Dr. Lister, Dr. Freeman, Dr. Susanne Montgomery, and Talolo Lepale from Loma Linda University, as well as Janet Odhiambo and Derrick Deya from the Adventist University of Africa.
The training kicked off in January 2024, with Janet Odhiambo and Derrick Deya traveling to Sierra Leone to immerse themselves in the CRM and FaSCET models. Then in April 2024, the Sierra Leone team flew to Kenya to train 16 teachers, preparing them for the upcoming intervention in the fall. The training week was intense and rewarding, filled with didactic sessions, experiential exercises, and small practice breakout groups. For many team members, it was their first time leaving their country, highlighting the project's commitment to cross-cultural learning and sustainable impact. This collaborative effort is a testament to the power of teamwork and dedication in enhancing educational and mental health outcomes across borders. The team plans to take the findings from this and a previous project to support an application for NIH funding for the expansion of this project.
