Asociación de Capacitación e Investigación para la Salud Mental (ACISAM)

ACISAM believes there is an important link between mental health and communication, and hence offers media tools for communities to address problems and spur discussions and communication. ACISAM projects draw on video and radio produced by community members themselves in order to raise awareness and mobilise local action. The community groups ACISAM addresses often do not have a felt need to communicate, as their problems are not outspoken; low self-esteem can also make community members reluctant to participate. Keeping these challenges in mind, ACISAM approaches a community by first presenting itself to the local government, stating the purpose and signing an agreement with the local authorities. The organisation then carries out an assessment of the community to define problems, identify the most vulnerable groups, and strategise about where the project can bring about the most benefit.

ACISAM then sends the people who are enthusiastic and committed to the project for 6 months of training by professional filmmakers, editors, and news-broadcasters. The community group is guided in the use of communication methodologies and technologies, participation, and conflict resolution. They are taught skills including writing a project synopsis for producing a video, filming, editing and showing the video. Generally, ACISAM takes on those ages 15-28 as a strategic community force to participate in and promote the communication project; youth are often less affected by hopelessness and despair and more energised to make a positive change in their communities and work towards reconciliation.

After a community group has been trained in video production, they may borrow ACISAM video cameras and editing equipment and receive technical assistance without cost. Trained community groups film community issues, either through interviews or through dramatised scripts. The local basketball court and other public meeting places are often used for broadcasting videos to the community. The broadcasts are always followed by an analysis and a discussion.

ACISAM also uses radio as a communication tool. Its Community Sound project involves recording different community messages with participating community members, and then playing them back through loudspeakers placed in different strategic places in the community. This approach to some extent substitutes a local radio station, but does not require purchase of expensive airtime or establishment of a frequency channel.

Conflict, Mental Health.

ACISAM was established in 1986 in El Salvador when the country was experiencing the most critical years of political repression. Initially the NGO offered counselling and psychotherapy to individuals and supported people who sought refuge from the authorities; in 1992 the focus shifted from clinical intervention to prevention. The ACISAM staff consists of people who are skilled in many different areas of communication; they participate directly in the projects, especially to gain community feedback after a video presentation.

According to ACISAM, the project has helped build community identity and understanding of local problems and issues. Furthermore, people's self-esteem has been built through their own reflections when viewing the videos. This, ACISAM thinks, has in turn helped villagers identify resource persons in the community who can help take action to change the community positively - and who have the confidence to acknowledge that they can look beyond their own personal interests and work to change their community for the better. So far, 120 community groups have been formed. In one village, a major received negative publicity in the videos, and hence acknowledged the need to improve his image by working harder on his social responsibilities. He has now ensured that the production group received a sponsorship for the latest digital video equipment.

The project only has enough video (VHS) and editing (tape-to-tape, linear) equipment for 6 community groups to work with filming, and one community group to work with editing at a time. Communities in the programme are aware that they should strive to obtain their own equipment. In one village, the local sugar mill sponsored video equipment and in return requested that the team make a video about the sugar mill. To build capacity in equipment repair, ACISAM draws on its membership of the network ARPAS (Association for Participatory Radio in El Salvador), which provides training workshops for radio and electronic technicians in rural areas. The idea is that the community groups in the end are self-driven and self-sustainable; they conduct filming, editing, and repairs independently and use equipment owned by the group itself. Nevertheless, ACISAM continues to supervise the themes, scripts, and final productions to ensure that the equipment is not misused for propaganda.