The Psychosocial Oncology Program and the Center for Palliative and Cancer Care in Conflict (CPCCC) at King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) in collaboration with the Neuro Behavioral Center in Houston, Texas, delivered a foundational mental health course for staff at KHCC as a first step to building a new Psychosocial Support (PSS) Program at KHCC.
Several essential steps have recently been taken to work towards this. Firstly, by analyzing the conceptual dynamic and structure of the current PSS system as well as its relation to the various medical entities and services in order to establish a comprehensive, integrated mental health service that promotes healthy PSS, resilience, high standard clinical mental health services, and provide a healthy and improved state of wellbeing for everyone involved – not only the patients and families but also for the health care providers.
“The new PSS at KHCC aims to improve the supporting environment and the overall welfare of all Jordanians with cancer as well as vulnerable refugee patients” – Dr. Omar Shamieh, Director of the CPCCC and the PSS Oncology Program at KHCC.
The course combined both theoretical and practical approaches to further enrich the learning environment and add positively to the therapeutic tool kit at KHCC. “This training program will enable the team to integrate valid and reliable psychosocial tools to enhance patient and family centered care” – Ghadeer Alarja, CPCCC Senior Research Co-ordinator.
CPCCC is supported by the R4HC-MENA program.