Mental Health and Care Practices and Protection

The purpose of this document is to showcase protection related work done by the Mental Health and Care Practices programs as well as to highlight what Action Against Hunger does not do.

Published: 2016

Since 2002, ACF has positioned itself as a pioneer in its work on mental health and care practices in programs to fight hunger. Taking into account the psychosocial element in the understanding, prevention and treatment of malnutrition, MHCP programmes include the reinforcement of childcare practices and of the parent-child relationship, promoting the child’s physical and mental progress. Recognizing the importance of the mental health well-being of the caregiver and of the child for providing adequate child care practices, ACF has developed a strong mental health and psychosocial support component in its MHCP programs. In emergencies, mental health and psychosocial support programs are implemented for responding to population needs in improving psychosocial well-being and
increasing resilience.

To date ACF’s Mental Health and Care Practice (MHCP) programs cover six objectives, namely to:

1. Prevent malnutrition by strengthening and changing care practices

2. Prevent the deterioration of childcare practices in crisis situations

3. Improve treatment and limit the negative consequences of malnutrition on the health and development of the child

4. Provide psychological support during or after the event of natural disasters and conflicts. 5. Strengthen the quality of ACF programs and

6. Integrate psychological and social impacts into the analyses.