Introducing Problem Management plus (PM+) to Haiti

WHAT HUMANITARIAN NEED IS BEING ADDRESSED?

The project addressed Haiti’s acute shortage of accessible mental health services amidst widespread displacement, armed violence, and political instability.  

With public access to mental health support centres shut down and only a handful of professionals available for a population of over 11 million, those most affected by trauma, including women and displaced families, had little to no support. This innovation responded to both a service delivery gap and the urgent psychosocial needs of people affected by prolonged crisis.

HOW DID THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTION IMPACT HUMANITARIAN PRACTICE?

By piloting the first fully online delivery of WHO’s Problem Management Plus (PM+) in a high-risk environment, the project demonstrated the feasibility of digital delivery where face-to-face interventions were unsafe or impractical. It trained 11 local Helpers, built a contextualised version of PM+, and delivered mental health support to pilot clients. The approach was inclusive, low-cost, and scalable, and increased awareness of PM+ among over 120 relevant stakeholders across Haiti.  

The innovation advanced humanitarian practice by offering a flexible, evidence-based method to expand MHPSS access in fragile settings, paving the way for remote delivery models in other crisis-affected countries.

WHAT PROGRESS WAS ACHIEVED AND WHAT WERE THE KEY LEARNINGS?

The project successfully contextualised PM+ for Haiti, trained 11 Helpers, and piloted delivery with a first cohort of clients. Online training methods overcame security and access barriers, while stakeholder workshops engaged over 120 participants across three cities. Key learnings included the importance of flexibility, the value of local knowledge in contextualising mental health support, and the potential of digital models in scaling interventions. Challenges included lower-than-anticipated client retention and heavily disrupted scale-up due to insecurity. Nonetheless, the pilot provided critical groundwork and confirmed the viability of remote MHPSS delivery in high-severity contexts.

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FUTURE POTENTIAL AND LESSONS FOR INNOVATION

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The innovation has strong potential to be scaled in Haiti and adapted for other conflict-affected regions. Next steps include deeper engagement with health authorities, developing local ownership, and expanding the training of Helpers.  

Lessons include the need for longer project timelines to embed sustainable impact, the value of partnerships with community-based actors, and the importance of adaptive approaches when working in insecure environments. There is also scope to strengthen male participation, improve digital access tools, and integrate PM+ with other humanitarian services.  

Broader dissemination and publication efforts are underway to inform policy and practice.