City of Rest Rehabilitation Center
The City of Rest Rehabilitation Centre is situated in the centre
of Freetown, Sierra Leone and offers residential care for up to 40
people struggling with addiction problems and/or mental
illness.
It was started in 1994 as a day-care programme and became a
residential care centre when it moved to its current location in
1996. The project was started by Pastor Morie S. Ngobeh, a local
pastor who had been working with drug addicts since 1985 and
realised the need for a rehabilitation centre.
Our vision is to see people struggling with addiction or mental
illness healed, restored and reintegrated into society through
Christ-centred, professional, and compassionate care.
Objectives:
- To sensitise people about substance abuse and mental health in
order to
(a) prevent them from
developing addictions or mental disorders and
( b) Promote a
compassionate response to those who are facing psychosocial, mental
and/or spiritual challenges in their lives and/or are struggling
with addictions.
2. To share the Good News of Jesus Christ and
to actively reach out to those who are struggling with addictions
and/or suffering from mental disorders, inviting them to trust God
for their healing and restoration.
3. To provide ambulatory and residential care for
those affected by substance abuse and/or mental disorders and to
bring restoration through compassionate care, counselling,
life-skills training, vocational training and (informal)
education.
4. To facilitate the reintegration of those
who have completed the residential programme into their families
and communities and the society at large through active follow-up
and support.
5. To seek excellence in all we do by
continuing to learn and develop as an organisation and in our
professional and personal lives.
The aims and objectives have become more holistic over time,
with a programme focussing on spiritual, mental, physical and
social needs.
Some of the objectives are being achieved as people successfully
complete the programme and are reintegrated into society. The
number of people who have been admitted with severe mental
disorders has increased over the years, however. This needs more
professional knowledge and a higher staff-client ratio which has
been hard to achieve because of a lack of both financial means and
human resources. Qualified mental health professionals are scarce
in Sierra Leone.
The City of Rest Rehabilitation Centre is dependent on donations
from churches, charities and individuals. A small amount comes in
through our participation in the European Commission sponsored
programme "Enabling Access to Mental Health in Sierra
Leone." The financial sustainability is a concern.
We are hoping to move to the new centre which we are currently
constructing on the outskirts of Freetown. The new facilities will
include areas for recreation, agriculture, skills training,
etc.
The City of Rest Rehabilitation Centre is a partner in the
European Commission Sponsored Project "Enabling Access to
Mental Health Care in Sierra Leone." This project is
aiming to train mental health workers, to sensitise the general
population on mental health and to build a mental health coalition
of key stakeholders.
Current challenges include difficulty with attracting
professional staff, as well ensuring a sustainable means of funding
the project.
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