Forging A Path Forward for Global Mental Health
And its importance in advancing USAID’s global development work
To mark Mental Health Awareness Month this year, we spoke with USAID Mental Health Coordinator Jerome Galea to learn how USAID advances the role of mental health in achieving the Agency’s mission of inclusive international development.
USAID’s mental health programs have enhanced people’s overall health, confidence, and ability to address stressors in their lives in several countries, including Ukraine. Strengthening mental health improves people’s resilience, which also is a foundation for increased productivity and economic growth.
1. How does the Agency’s mental health work support its mission of international development and inclusion?
USAID firmly believes that mental health is an essential part of the foundation on which international development is built. When people experience a sense of well-being, they can more readily care for themselves, their families, and their communities. Growth is fostered.
On the other hand, social exclusion due to poverty, sexual or gender identity, disability, etc., is corrosive, and negatively affects mental health. That, in turn, can stunt one’s full potential, not just mentally but physically.
Our recently released USAID Mental Health Position Paper signals our strong commitment to addressing mental health in development programming, recognizing the central role that mental health plays in advancing the Agency’s mission regarding inclusive international development.
Positive mental health allows people to more readily cope with stressors and adapt to change. At scale, mental adaptiveness translates into stronger, more resilient communities. In this way, elevating mental health throughout USAID is another way of putting into practice our Agency’s mission of advancing a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.
2. What are the greatest challenges and needs you confront in advancing mental health in international development?
From experience, I can say that resources (human and monetary) are almost always the biggest challenge we face when bringing mental health services to scale. Still, it’s important to remember that there is almost always something that can be done, no matter how small, to promote mental health and it’s rarely an “all or none” situation.
In one setting, the best step is advocating for mental health in a USAID Mission’s country development strategy, whereas in another setting it may be supporting a host government commitment to scaling up community-based mental health services.
Don’t get me wrong: we need more resources. But we also need to be creative, flexible, and agile with what we have. I’m in this game for the long haul, and change can be difficult. But USAID already has a prevailing culture of caring about others, and that is fertile soil for growing mental health work.
3. What positions did you hold before becoming the Agency Mental Health Coordinator?
My career started about 30 years ago in the HIV prevention and care field. There, I learned about the role mental health played in HIV acquisition, which was my impetus for pursuing a career in social work. In 2001, as part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) research network, I relocated to Lima, Peru, to continue work in HIV prevention, and in 2010 I joined a large social justice organization that promotes a preferential option for the poor in healthcare. While in Lima, I co-founded a community-based mental health program that trained laypeople to provide evidence-based depression care in impoverished communities. I then relocated to the U.S., where before joining USAID, I was a tenured professor of social work and founded the Access Lab aimed at scaling up mental health access for everyone. As a licensed clinical social worker, I also did private counseling primarily during the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. As USAID’s second-ever Coordinator, in what ways would you like to build upon the achievements of your predecessor?
My predecessor literally left things teed up for implementation — and that will be my focus. I’ve arrived at USAID just in time for the launch of the new Mental Health Position Paper and multiple tools to guide the Agency forward. Accordingly, working with a new mental health team and many mental health champions across the Agency, I will focus on bringing USAID’s position on mental health in development to life and operationalize the concepts beyond the document. This may take many forms, from socializing USAID’s position within the Agency to representing it to international partners. Most importantly, this means working with USAID Missions to take the next step in mental health service provision work and ensure it is consistent with the needs, values, and priorities of the host country.
5. What do you envision for USAID’s mental health portfolio?
There are times in life where “the stars align” and I believe this is one of those moments for mental health at USAID. I honestly believe USAID has taken a giant step forward, and the real work — integrating mental health across the diverse portfolios of development work — can now begin in a more coordinated way. I’m excited to have joined USAID at this moment and predict that when we look back, it will be clear that 2024 was the year that mental health work in USAID greatly accelerated.
About the Author
Alan Goodman is a Communications Specialist with USAID’s Inclusive Development Hub, Bureau for Inclusive Growth, Partnerships, and Innovation.
