The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is providing psychosocial assistance to individuals in crisis through the Wireless Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (WiSupport) program, a senior agency official said on Monday.
“WiSupport is a psychosocial support program of DSWD designed to address the mental health and psychosocial needs of our kababayans (people). From the very start, this program was pursued to provide those in need access to platforms where they can express their mental health concerns and seek psychosocial support,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a news release.
Developed and launched in 2021 to address the growing mental health challenges at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the program has so far served 2,500 clients.
WiSupport initially provided online psychosocial support through the DSWD website, email, Facebook page, and hotlines in accordance with the needs of the public during the pandemic. The DSWD later made WiSupport accessible on other online platforms after the pandemic.
From 2023, the DSWD strategically established WiSupport stations across the agency’s Central Office as well as field offices and began serving Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) clients.
Dumlao said this intervention aligns with the DSWD’s commitment to give holistic services to clients in crisis, who may also be under extreme stress and experiencing anxiety, depression or other mental health issues.
“It’s not just the financial capacity that is affected when a person is in crisis. Their emotional and mental well-being may also take the toll,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
She said the WiSupport team is trained to provide Psychological First Aid (PFA).
The team is available from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and can be accessed at WiSupport.dswd.gov.ph or through the official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DSWDWiSUPPORT/.
The public may also avail WiSupport services via sending an email to [email protected] or reaching out through 0917-1070062.
Aside from psychosocial first aid, the DSWD also has a referral network to address the other needs of the individual in crisis based on the assessment of the WiSupport team.
Dumlao said the DSWD may also refer the client to other institutions with psychiatric services or institutions offering services according to the client’s needs.
Likewise, the program serves as a hotline for emergency cases that require immediate attention.
Such cases may be referred to psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health institutions that are part of the referral network including the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) and the Department of Health (DOH).
The other partner-agencies for the WiSupport program are the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA); the Philippine Red Cross, the Psychological Association of the Philippines, and the United Registered Social Workers. (PNA)
