Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, the first dedicated children’s hospital in the UAE, observes World Mental Health Day on 10 October. Under the slogan “Mental Health Care for All: Let’s Make This Slogan Reality”, the hospital has initiated several activities to raise awareness about mental health issues.
The hospital’s participation in World Mental Health Day stems from its belief in the importance of implementing medical strategies to promote mental health, in addition to providing psychosocial support for children and their families alike. Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital provides the best international practices in therapeutic intervention through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre of Excellence, the first-of-its-kind in the region dedicated to providing comprehensive assessment and management of a wide variety of mental health issues in children and adolescents, in addition to providing support to their families.
Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital stands out from other healthcare facilities with its one-of-a-kind specialties like mental health inpatient ward. The 10-bed unit provides multidisciplinary, intensive mental health assessment and treatment for children and adolescents who are experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties and are unable to be managed at home.
Every child at Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital is attended by a multidisciplinary team of experts, which enables us to offer a wholistic family-centric solution that provides support to the other family members as well.
A first-of-its-kind academic integrated mental health centre, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre of Excellence has introduced parent support group programmes like Blue Café aimed at empowering families, along with professional programmes that works with interns, residents, and fellows to ensure that all patients get world-class care.
Additionally, Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital has received research grants worth AED 1.5 million that are testament to the stellar work of the Centre in cementing UAE’s position as the healthcare hub in the region in addition to the phenomenal role played by the Centre in developing government guidelines for best practices for Autism in partnership with the Harvard University.
Dr Mohamed Al Awadhi, Chief Operating Officer, Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, said: “As we commemorate World Mental Health Day, it’s important to note that early intervention is vital for managing the condition at the earliest, for which we need to have favorable environment and adept clinical teams. We at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre of Excellence, have a multi-skilled team to support and care for the mental health of the young minds of UAE and beyond, as well as their family members to ensure that they receive the necessary care and support needed.”
“Our highly-skilled and trained caregivers are committed to meeting the needs of not only those who are suffering from the mental health illness but also their families by providing them with world-class treatment. We strongly believe that together we can have a lasting impact on the lives of people in the region and around the globe who are grappling with the illness.”
On this occasion, Dr. Ammar Albanna, Head of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre of Excellence, Al Jalila Specialty Children’s Hospital, said: “Today we’re observing World Mental Health Day at Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital and its Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre of Excellence, and we affirm our commitment in providing training for mental health professionals who provide assistance to children who are in need of mental health support.”
During the clinical training in the fellowship programme, we focus on developing the treatment plan, managing psychological and pharmacological treatment within an environment rich with a strong knowledge base in the field of child development along with the supporting role played by social factors towards his mental health.
Dr. Ammar Albanna, Head of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre at Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital along with his colleagues will be participating in a series of community engagement events during the course of the month.
