The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) launched on April 30 the WiSUPPORT or the “Wireless Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Individuals and Families Affected by COVID-19 and other Crisis Situations”. The project will be pilot-tested in the National Capital Region, Central Visayas, and CARAGA.
As a social technology innovation, WiSUPPORT will use online platforms such as electronic mail, web portal, DSWD WiServ, telephone, and mobile application to provide the public with easy access to various communication tools to talk with the DSWD WiSUPPORT service providers.
Learning and Development activities for service providers will also be conducted to ensure proper management of cases. For emergency cases needing immediate attention, clients will be assisted to be referred to psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health institutions who are members of the referral network such as the Department of Health (DOH) and National Center for Mental Health (NCMH). Through the help of the Mental Health AWhereness PH mapping, integrated in the WiSUPPORT platforms, clients and service providers may also find agencies providing mental health services nearby.
In his message during the launch, DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista emphasized that the WiSUPPORT is one of the Department’s measures to ensure that the general state of mental well-being of the public is prioritized amid the pandemic.
“The constant worry and fear of being infected by the virus and economic concerns of providing for their families, coupled with family conflicts and disasters amid the pandemic have brought anxiety, mental, and emotional distress to a lot of people. Hence, as the lead agency in social protection, and as part of the DSWD’s COVID-19 response and recovery plan, the Department sought more accessible ways for the provision of psychosocial support to Filipinos affected by the pandemic,” Secretary Bautista explained.
Among the target clientele of WiSUPPORT are Overseas Filipinos (OFs) in Distress, children in need of special protection (CNSP), senior citizens, women in especially difficult circumstances (WEDC), persons with disability (PWDs), family heads and other needy adults (FHONA), and other individuals and families in distress.
Clients in the pilot areas from NCR, Central Visayas, and CARAGA Region may access the services of WiSUPPORT through the following:
Call Hotlines: 0947-482-2864 (Smart); 0916-247-1194 (Globe)
Text Hotline: 0918-912-2813
Email: [email protected]
Website: ekwentomo.dswd.gov.ph
Google Play Store application: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cudavasol.wisupport
The DSWD pledged to continue to coordinate with appropriate mental health providers and organizations to become more responsive to the needs of the population, especially during the ongoing health crisis.
