Behavioral Health Directory
Return to the Division of Behavioral Health main page.
Behavioral Health Division
P .O. Box 6027 Koror, PW 96940
Tel: 680-488-1907 Fax: 680-488-1211
Email: bhd@palau-health.net
Mission
To provide mental health and substance abuse services to all of the people of Palau. The central principle of this mission is to provide the highest quality of services possible within resources that are allocated.
Vision
Helping People to Help Themselves
"Olngeseu er a Rechad el mo ditir"
A message from the Chief of Behavioral Health:
Alii! Welcome to Behavioral Health online, a Division of the Bureau of Public Health, at the Ministry of Health, in the Republic of Palau. The Division provides comprehensive community based Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Staffed by well qualified professionals in the field of mental health, social work, addictions counseling, nursing, and prevention, we service the entire population in the Republic with the vision that by helping people to help themselves, Olngeseu er a Rechad el mo Ditir, they can return to their families and communities as contributing members of the society.
This website summarizes all of the services available, however, for more detailed information, please contact us at (680) 488-1907, or email bhd@palau-health.net .
Thank you for taking the time to understand behavioral health!
Dr. Sylvia Andres, DCHMS, PGDipMH
Chief, Division of Behavioral Health
Comprehensive Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Community Based Services
Primary and early intervention services include information dissemination, education, alternatives, community-based process, environmental and early identification & referral for the prevention of substance abuse and the promotion of mental health. Treatment services include assessment, therapy & counseling, pharmacotherapy, testing, transitional and ancillary services provided at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of care. Emergency services are also provided.
Clinic Based Services
Outpatient centers for the services as described above in "community mental health/substance abuse services".
Hospital Based Services
Acute and short term intervention, psychiatric and alcohol and drug treatment services are provided at an inpatient setting.
Administrative Services
Overall management of all programs including personnel & procurement, grants management, data collection & evaluation, human resource development, planning and policy.
SIDEBAR:
• Mental Health Services
• Outpatient Based Services
• General Mental Health Services
• Children's Services
• Day Program Services
• Mental Health Promotion
• Inpatient Services
• Acute and Short Term Stabilization Services
• Community Based Services
• Home Visits
• Early Identification/intervention services
• Awareness and education services
• Emergency Preparedness
• Substance Abuse Services
• Substance Abuse Treatment Outpatient Services
• Bedochel (BEDOCHEL folder)
• Tobacco Cessation Clinic (STUN folder)
• Substance Abuse Prevention Services
• Prevention (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs)
• Tobacco Control Program (STUN folder)
• School Health Center (BEDOCHEL folder)
• Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF-SIG) (redirect link)
• Administration
• Staff
• Membership
BH Newsletter
1a. Mental Health Outpatient Services
Mental Health treatment services are comprehensive for all persons diagnosed with a mental illness or co-occurring disorder. Service is available at various sites in the community to all persons in the community as well as at the BHD outpatient setting located at Belau National Hospital Treatment is available for all age groups.
Clinical services currently available include the following:
• Assessment/Diagnosis
• Crisis Stabilization
• Counseling
? Individual
? Couple
? Family
? Group
• Day Treatment*
• Aftercare and follow-up
• Medication monitoring
• Outreach Clinical Visits
• Case Management
• Detoxification
• Consultations available to schools and all community agencies
• Referrals
• Nicotine Cessation Clinic
* transportation to morning treatment is provided
1.a.i Behavioral Health Day Group
The purpose of the Behavioral Health Day Group is to provide partial day treatment for patients with serious mental illness. Treatment includes medication monitoring and case management. This educational program also includes psychosocial education on independent living, skill building, as well as extra curricular activities.
1.a.ii MH Outreach Services
The services are extended to clients who have limited access to the Outpatient Clinic including those who are homebound, in the jail, and those living in the outlying rural areas where means of public transportation is lacking.
1.a.ii Mental Health Promotion
Mental health is the foundation for well-being and effective functioning for an individual and for a community. Mental health promotion is concerned with the determinants of health. While individuals, families, communities, commercial organizations and health professionals can all do something to promote mental health, the BHD has several activities designed to improve the determinants of mental health. These activities include employment services, stress management, information dissemination about mental illness, parenting skills, building resilience among young children and adolescent. BHD works by the Public Health philosophy to use strategies intended to build people's capacity to manage their own health.
1.b Inpatient Services
Mental Health Inpatient treatment services include assessment, therapy, counseling, pharmacotherapy, testing, transitional, discharge and ancillary services.
Acute and short term intervention, psychiatric, alcohol, and drug treatment services are provided at the Inpatient Unit.
Emergency/crisis stabilization services are also provided.
1.c Emergency Preparedness
In recognition of the fact that the occurrence of a biological, chemical, radiological, or natural disaster can easily overwhelm or damage the capacity of local mental health and substance abuse resources, a Plan was created to support local and regional efforts to meet community, mental health/substance abuse service needs in a collaborative, organized, effective, and culturally competent manner. The Plan integrates with Public Health Emergency, Belau National Hospital Preparedness, National Emergency Management Office, and the Palau Red Cross.
The purpose of the Plan is to ensure that emergency Mental Health and Substance Abuse service responders are well informed, educated, and trained in the anticipation of the range of potential psychosocial effects that might occur in the response and recovery phases of disasters. Staff and community volunteers have been trained in Incident Command Systems, Crisis Counseling, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, CPR, and First Aid in preparation and anticipation of disasters.
Crisis Counseling
Skill used to help people recover and cope in the midst of a disaster. Crisis counseling takes into account helping people develop natural coping mechanisms and problem solving skills, develop resiliency, and early identification and referral to a higher level of support or assistance.
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)
Psychosocial skill used to debrief first responders to a disaster. First responders are key professionals at the forefront of disasters such as nurses, police officers, fire fighters, HAZMAT Teams, among many others, who are most affected and would require debriefing in order to return to normalcy - daily life routines.
1.d Palau Mental Health Council
The Palau Mental Health Council (PMHC) is an advisory council with membership appointed by the President of the Republic of Palau that includes community individuals and representatives concerned with the need, planning, operation, and funding of mental health services.
The council is serves a) as an advocate for seriously mentally ill individuals; b) to promote and assist in planning and developing comprehensive mental health treatment, support, and rehabilitation services; c) to monitor, review, and evaluate, not less often than annually, the allocation and adequacy of mental health services within the Republic and d) to advise, counsel, and support the Division of Behavioral Health in the area of Mental Health.
PMHC Membership (2005)
Title Name Representation
Chairman Reverend Limitz Iyar Faith Community
Vice-Chairwoman Josepha Tiobech MH Agency
Secretary/Treasurer Romana Wong Family member
Member Fumiana Masayos Family member
Member Bibbie Kumangai Student
Member Ibuuch Ngirious Parent
Member Julio Ringang Public Safety
Member Maria Silmai Family member
Member Hayato Silmai Consumer
Member Melinda Ramarui Education (Headstart)
Member Kyarii Obeketang Education (Elementary)
Member Jeffrey Olgeriil Voc. Rehab
Member Yoshio Eledui Community Youth
2.b.ii Substance Abuse Prevention
Substance Abuse Prevention services exist to reduce overall alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use in the general population. Early intervention through education, information dissemination, and other prevention activities aim to delay ATOD use in the younger population. Mental Health promotion ............................
Behavioral Health is spearheading programs with preventive care and early intervention in urban Koror as well as outlying areas of Palau. These activities are carried out by Substance Abuse Prevention Office, Tobacco Control Program, and the Mental Health Council, in collaboration with various government and non-government agencies. Prevention and early intervention activities include the following:
Information dissemination
Pamphlets, videos, internet resource materials
Talks, presentations
Radio/TV programs
Substance Abuse Treatment Month
World Mental Health Day
World No Tobacco Day
Outreach
Community-based process
Coordination with requesting agencies
Alternatives
Drug-Free Activities
Environmental
Legislation/policy development
Education
Support for peer leader program
Early Identification & Referral
High risk youth, DUI , Student Assistance Program
Topics include
Self-esteem
Stress management
Tobacco, alcohol and other drug abuse
Child disorders
Disaster preparedness
Anger Management
Suicide Prevention
A Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) effort exists to develop national substance abuse framework/infrastructure based on continuous a) assessment of needs, b) capacity building, c) program planning d) program implementation and e) program evaluation.
3. Administrative Services
The administration of Behavioral Health serves as a central point for overall management of all programs including personnel & procurement, grants management, data collection & evaluation, human resource development, planning and policy.
4. Staff
(see org chart)
5. Membership
• Palau Interagency Team (serving children with special needs)
• Palau Mental Health Council
• Coalition for a Tobacco Free Palau (STUN folder)
• Regional Alcohol and Drug Awareness Resource (RADAR) Center
• Pacific Substance Abuse & Mental Health Collaborating Council & Certification Board (PSAMH CC/CB)
• Palau Head Start Health Advisory Committee
• Palau Crisis Hotline
• Palau Adolescent Health Care Committee
• Palau Early Comprehensive Childhood System
• Non Communicable Disease Framework on Alcohol/Tobacco Harm Reduction
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