All persons in recovery from mental health conditions are empowered to live with dignity in a caring and inclusive society. Rehabilitation and support services are available to help these individuals and their caregivers to be integrated into the community.
For a list of mental health services and resources, go to Mental Health Resource Directory.
Peer Support
Peer Support Specialists are individuals with lived experience of mental health issues who are trained and employed to provide formalised and structured support to others in their journey of recovery. This could include role-modelling of recovery (e.g. sharing of coping strategies), and extending emotional, practical and social support to their peers.
Peer Support Specialist Programme
The Peer Support Specialist Programme was launched in 2016 by the National Council of Social Service, with strong support from the Institute of Mental Health and mental health organisations. It is Singapore's first national training programme to prepare individuals for the role of Peer Support Specialists. The formal and structured training equips persons with mental health conditions with peer support skills to leverage their lived experience to support others on their recovery journeys.
a) Preparatory Training for Potential Peer Support Specialist
This module introduces the role of a Peer Support Specialist, and the significance of sharing a lived experience in peer support work. The module consists of 16 hours
of classroom training.
b) Certificate in Peer Support
This module equips these individuals with competencies to perform the role of a Peer Support Specialist. The module includes 80 hours of classroom training and 100 hours of practicum at a social service or healthcare agency.
Course
is fully sponsored for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, with attendance requirements of 100%* and completion of all assessments.
*Learners who do not meet the 100% attendance requirements would need to provide a valid reason with supporting documents eg Medical Certificate. In such events, learners should not miss more than 25% of the course.
Watch highlights of the Peer Support Specialist Programme, a competency-based training for individuals to leverage their lived experience to support others in their recovery from mental health issues.
For more information, please visit Social Service Institute.
NCSS also enhances the capability and capacity of social service agencies in integrating peers through the following initiative:
Apprenticeship Scheme
The Apprentice Scheme is in partnership with Workforce Singapore (WSG) and AMKFSC Community Services.
Persons in recovery who are trained in Peer Support can access work trial for up to 9 months. Employers can also assess the job fit of these Peer Support Specialists through the work trial.
For more information, please contact AMKFSC Community Services at apprenticeship@amkfsc.org.sg, or call at 6904 9817.
Employment
Employment is an important aspect of recovery as it allows individuals to contribute meaningfully to society, achieve independence and be socially included.
NCSS started Project H.I.R.E. (Help Integrate Recovering persons with mental health
issues through Employment) to increase employment opportunities for persons in recovery through an eco-system approach. This includes partnership with the people, private and public sector. Some of the initiatives include pilot programmes which help
to enhance the job readiness of persons in recovery, provide workplace support to employees with or at risk of a mental health issue as well as training and advisory to companies. To complement that, NCSS has started the Beyond the Label movement to address stigma, encourage help-seeking behaviours and to increase awareness of workplace mental health.
Singapore Anglican Community Services, Singapore Association for Mental Health
and Institute of Mental Health Job Club provide job placement, vocational training and job support for persons with mental health conditions.
If you know of any persons with mental health conditions who may require employment support,
you may wish to contact the organisations directly to make an appointment.
Singapore Anglican Community Services - Integrated Employment Services
Address: 10 Simei Street 3, Singapore 529897
Tel: +65 6812 9601
Email: ies@sacs.org.sg
SAMH Mindset Learning Hub
Address: 257 Jurong East Street 24, #01-405, Singapore 600257
Tel: +65 6665 9220
Email: mindsetLH@samhealth.org.sg
Institute of Mental Health - Job Club
Address: Buangkok Green Medical Park, Blk 1, Occupational Therapy Department, Singapore 539747
Tel: +65 6389 2678
Email: enquiries@jobclub.sg
There are guidelines on inclusive and supportive practices that employers can adopt to better support employees’ mental wellbeing and employees with mental health conditions:
Community Integration
Community integration services provide psycho-rehabilitation activities, early identification and support, training and skills to enable persons in recovery to have opportunity for integration into mainstream activities.
Singapore Association for Mental Health - SAMH Insight Centre
The programme provides counselling and support services to both persons in recovery and their family members. The emotional and
psychological needs of persons in recovery are met through face-to-face counselling sessions, support group sessions or the telephone helpline. These individuals and their family members are also equipped with necessary skills to better understand
and cope with their mental health conditions through workshops and case conferences.
Silver Ribbon (Singapore) – Awareness, Information, Referral (A.I.R)
Silver Ribbon (Singapore) seeks to provide integration support through early identification and outreach. Services include activities to increase awareness of mental health issues and counselling to encourage help-seeking behaviours, which includes
referral of individuals to professional treatment by specialists or institutes.
Psychiatric Day Care and Homes
Psychiatric Day Care Centre
Psychiatric Day Care Services refer to vocational and psychosocial rehabilitation. Persons in recovery are equipped with the skills to do a variety of tasks in a work-simulated environment and activities
that include domestic and cleaning activities, social and recreational activities.
Singapore Association for Mental Health - SAMH Oasis Day Centre
The programme offers psychosocial rehabilitation for persons in recovery to improve their daily functioning skills so they could integrate back in the community.
Bethesda C.A.R.E. Friendship And Mind Enrichment (FAME) Club
The programme engages persons in recovery in a facilitative and nurturing environment to develop functional life skills and social competency. It also aims to increase social inclusion and reduce relapse and re-admission rates.
Homes & Hostels
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Homes and Hostels provide structured rehabilitation programmes to re-integrate persons in recovery into the society. They equip persons in recovery with community living
skills for them to return to their normal work settings and home.
Singapore Association for Mental Health - SAMH Group Homes
The programme provides opportunities for persons in recovery with well-managed psychiatric conditions to experience community living. It equips these individuals with independent living skills through rehabilitation services.
Caregiver Support Services
Advice and support services to caregivers through information and referral, counselling, training and support groups. They also conduct outreach activities to raise awareness of caregiving in the community.
Caregivers Alliance Limited (CAL)
Caregivers-to-Caregivers Education Programme
The programme provides support and training for caregivers of persons in recovery. It equips caregivers with the knowledge and skills so they can better cope with their caregiving duties.
The programme provides three types of training courses:
Caregivers Support Centre
The centre at IMH serves to facilitate outreach and provides support through counselling or information referral to caregivers of persons in recovery.
Individual Training and Support
The programme aims to meet the needs of the caregivers by providing individual training and support within the community. It equips caregivers with the knowledge and skills so they
can better cope with their caregiving duties.
Suicide Intervention and Management
Suicide Intervention and Management provides support for individuals and post-intervention support for families of suicide victims through helpline, home visits, face-to-face counselling and support groups.
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS)
SOS is a suicide prevention centre that provides confidential 24-hour emotional support to people in crisis, contemplating suicide,
or affected by suicide. It provides face-to-face specialist counselling and email befriending services for persons affected by suicide.
24-hour Hotline: 1-767
24-hour CareText: WhatsApp at 9151-1767
CareMail: pat@sos.org.sg
Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors (LOSS)
SOS also runs LOSS, which is an outreach programme to provide emotional support to family members
bereaved by the suicide of a loved one.
Youth Mental Health Services
Youth mental health services help youths and their families to understand and manage their mental health condition. It supports recovery through sports, arts, adventure-based, and life-skills activities to help them work towards fulfilling their aspirations.
Singapore Association for Mental Health - SAMH YouthReach
The progamme supports the recovery of children and youth with emotional and/or psychological issues, or mental health issues, within the community. The programme also extends psychosocial support and life skills training to their families.
Addiction Recovery
Addiction services aim to support persons with addictions and their families. This could range from psychotherapy, addiction therapy, relapse triggers and prevention, and support groups.
WE CARE Community Services - Sober Living Framework
WE CARE Community Services provides a suite of programmes under the Sober Living Framework, such as counselling, group therapy and workshops. It supports youths and adults with any addiction type, including those with dual-diagnosis (e.g. more than one addiction or addiction and mental health
issues) in achieving long-term sobriety. WE CARE Community Services also serves their caregivers and loved ones.
For more information, please head to WE CARE Community Services.
Social Inclusion
NCSS launched the Beyond the Label campaign in September 2018. It aims to encourage the public to go beyond the label of a mental health diagnosis, and to view and regard persons with mental health conditions for who they are. For more information, please
visit the Beyond the Label page.
About Beyond the Label 2.0
Beyond the Label (BTL) is a nation-wide
movement to fight stigma towards Persons with Mental Health Conditions (PMHCs). Led by the National Council of Social Service and TOUCH Community Services, the BTL Collective will work in partnership with stakeholders in the mental health ecosystem
to achieve objectives such as:
Since its inception in 2018, the BTL movement was largely focused on driving public awareness and the acceptance of PMHCs as part of Singapore’s social fabric. The evolution into BTL 2.0 will reinforce the need for family and community support and
promote active inclusion of PMHCs.
Through an integrated approach to engage different groups, BTL’s focus will be on Campaign promotion of awareness and acceptance of
PMHCs; equipping workplaces, schools and families in the Community with resources to demonstrate resilience; and enabling Care in the form of intervention
and integration in neighbourhoods.
The latest study conducted by NCSS in 2021 on public attitudes towards persons with mental health conditions (PMHC), found that there was an improvement in public attitudes towards persons with mental
health conditions. For example, six in ten respondents were willing to work with a person with a mental health condition. This improved from five in ten respondents in the 2017 survey
Organisations in the BTL Collective
