Center for Mental Health & Community Wellness

About the Center

The City University of Mogadishu Center for Mental Health & Community Wellness is a university-based center that provides accessible and confidential mental health and psychosocial services to students, university staff, and members of the wider community. The Center supports individuals, families, and groups experiencing a range of mental health and psychosocial concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and other challenges affecting well-being and daily functioning.

The Center provides counseling, psychosocial support, psychoeducation, mental health awareness, and other appropriate services through qualified professionals. An initial intake process helps identify each person’s needs and determine the most appropriate support. Where specialized psychiatric, medical, or other services are required, the Center works with hospitals, psychiatrists, physicians, psychologists, and other relevant providers to facilitate access to additional or specialized services through appropriate referral and follow-up pathways.

As part of City University of Mogadishu, the Center also contributes to teaching, training, research, prevention, and community engagement, creating opportunities to strengthen mental health knowledge and services within the University and the wider community.

Vision, Mission, and Core Values

VISION

To be a trusted and accessible university-based center that advances mental health, psychosocial
well-being, and quality of life for students, university staff, individuals, families, and communities
through comprehensive, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed services.

MISSION

The City University of Mogadishu Center for Mental Health & Community Wellness is committed to providing accessible, confidential, and quality mental health and psychosocial services to students, university staff, and the wider community. The Center seeks to promote well-being through counseling, psychoeducation, prevention, mental health awareness, community outreach, professional training, research, and coordinated referral and follow-up services. Through collaboration with the University, health professionals, hospitals, community organizations, and other partners, the Center aims to strengthen access to appropriate mental health support and contribute to healthier individuals, families, and communities.

Goals

Goal 1 Accessible Mental Health Services
To increase access to quality, confidential, and appropriate mental health and psychosocial
services for students, university staff, and members of the wider community.
Goal 2 Mental Health Promotion and Prevention
To promote mental health literacy, psychological well-being, prevention, early support, and reduction of mental-health stigma within the university and wider community.
Goal 3 Community Mental Health
To strengthen community awareness, engagement, and capacity to recognize and respond appropriately to mental-health and psychosocial needs.
Goal 4 Training and Capacity Development
To contribute to the development of knowledgeable and skilled students, professionals, and
community members through mental-health and psychosocial training.
Goal 5 Integrated Referral and Collaboration
To strengthen collaboration and referral pathways between the Center, hospitals, psychiatrists,
physicians, psychologists, schools, NGOs, and other relevant services.
Goal 6 Research and Evidence
To generate and apply evidence through mental-health research, community needs assessments, service evaluation, and other scholarly activities.

Objectives

The City University of Mogadishu Center for Mental Health & Community Wellness aims to:
1. Provide Accessible Mental Health and Psychosocial Services
To provide accessible, confidential, and professional counseling and psychosocial support services to students, university staff, individuals, families, and members of the wider community.
2. Strengthen Intake, Assessment, Referral, and Continuity of Care
To establish appropriate intake and assessment procedures and strengthen referral and follow-up pathways with hospitals, psychiatrists, physicians, psychologists and other specialized service
providers.
3. Promote Mental Health, Prevention, and Psychoeducation

To promote mental health literacy, psychological well-being, prevention, early support, and stigma reduction through psychoeducation, awareness campaigns, workshops, seminars, and community-
based programs.

4. Build Mental Health Capacity and Community Engagement
To strengthen the knowledge and skills of students, professionals, educators, community workers, and other stakeholders through training, capacity-building, and community outreach programs.
5. Support Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development
To provide opportunities for supervised practical learning, professional development, and experiential education for students and professionals in mental health and related disciplines.
6. Promote Research and Continuous Improvement
To conduct and support research, community needs assessments, and program and service evaluations to strengthen evidence-informed mental health practice and continuously improve the Center’s services.

Core Services

The City University of Mogadishu Center for Mental Health & Community Wellness will provide a comprehensive range of mental health, psychosocial, educational, and community-based services to students, university staff, individuals, families, and the wider community. Services will be delivered according to professional standards, confidentiality, informed consent, and the needs and scope of the Center.

1. Counseling, Psychosocial Support & Referral
• Individual, group, and family counseling
• Psychosocial support
• Trauma, grief, stress, and emotional support
• Crisis intervention and Psychological First Aid
• Initial intake and assessment
• Referral to psychiatrists, hospitals, physicians, psychologists, and other specialized services
• Follow-up and continuity of care
2. Mental Health Promotion, Psychoeducation and Prevention
• Mental health awareness and psychoeducation
• Mental health literacy programs
• Stress, coping, and resilience workshops
• Family and youth mental health education
• Prevention and stigma-reduction programs
• Public seminars and awareness campaigns

• Professional development
• Research and academic collaboration

3. Training & Community Outreach
• Mental health and psychosocial training
• Psychological First Aid and mental health awareness training
• Crisis intervention and Psychological First Aid
• Capacity building for students, professionals, educators, and community workers
• Community outreach and school-based programs
• Partnerships with hospitals, NGOs, schools, and community organizations
4. Research, Teaching & Professional Development
• Mental health and community-based research
• Community needs assessments
• Program and service evaluation
• Supervised practical learning and student training
• Professional development
• Research and academic collaboration

Core Values / Guiding Principles

The City University of Mogadishu Center for Mental Health & Community Wellness will be guided by the following core values and principles:

Confidentiality and Privacy
Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of individuals seeking services, in accordance with professional and ethical standards.
Respect and Dignity
Treating every individual, family, and community member with respect, compassion, fairness, and dignity.

Accessibility and Equity
Promoting equitable access to appropriate mental health and psychosocial services for students, university staff, and the wider community.
Cultural Responsiveness
Providing services that respect Somali culture, values, beliefs, family systems, and the diverse experiences of the communities served.

Professionalism and Ethical Practice
Providing services within professional competencies, ethical standards, and appropriate scope of
practice.
Person-Centered and Strengths-Based Care
Recognizing the individual’s needs, strengths, goals, and preferences and supporting their participation in decisions about their care.
Evidence-Informed Practice
Using current evidence, professional knowledge, and appropriate practice standards to guide services, programs, and interventions.

ABOUT CITY UNIVERSITY

CU Admissions:

ACADEMICS

English Language Programs (ESL & TOELF)

Dean's List

Scholarships Receipient

School of Continuing Education and Professional Development

MA Political Science – Public Administration

MA Conflict, Governance & Peacebuilding

MS Fisheries Management

MS Agribusiness & Value Chain Development