# How can mental health services work with faith groups and community leaders?

URL: https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-can-mental-health-services-work-with-faith-groups-and-community-leaders
For: Executives | Mental health practice | Reviewed by Independent clinical reviewer, Registered mental health clinician, Kenya | Last reviewed 8 November 2026

**Answer:** Kenya's Taskforce on Mental Health and the World Bank's 2025 financing study both recognise that many people first seek help from faith, traditional and community sources. Partnerships can include training leaders to recognise distress and refer people, sharing referral pathways, and hosting stigma-reduction sessions. Agree boundaries in writing, especially around confidentiality and practices that could cause harm. WHO's community mental health guidance encourages rights-based collaboration with community actors.

Sources: Ministry of Health: https://www.mntrh.go.ke/sites/default/files/2024-10/7Taskforce%20on%20Mental%20Health-sumentalhealth.pdf - World Bank: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099062625151536999/pdf/P500559-c9a551f7-f86e-49ac-88b4-3f7f48de0e1d.pdf - World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240025684

## Related questions

- [How can a mental health programme scale across sites or counties?](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-can-a-mental-health-programme-scale-across-sites-or-counties)
- [How can county health departments plan and budget for mental health?](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-can-county-health-departments-plan-and-budget-for-mental-health)
- [How can mental health care be integrated into primary health care?](https://tymirahealth.com/resources/faqs/how-can-mental-health-care-be-integrated-into-primary-health-care)

---

**About Tymira Health:** Tymira Health is a healthcare technology company based in Nairobi, Kenya. It builds Tymira360, a practice management and EHR platform for mental health, physiotherapy and dental providers, clinics, hospitals, NGOs and insurers across Africa.

- Book a demo: https://tymirahealth.com/demo
- Contact: https://tymirahealth.com/contact (info@tymirahealth.com)
- All resources: https://tymirahealth.com/resources/all