More lay counsellors planned
Wan Azizah: Govt to have 10,000 by 2019 to tackle mental illness
KUALA LUMPUR: The government aims to have 10,000 lay counsellors next year to tackle increasing cases of mental illness in the country, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said 5,500 individuals were trained as lay counsellors under a voluntary programme this year.
“We will further strengthen this programme next year to multiply these numbers.
“Anyone who wants to be a lay counsellor will have to go through a screening test and go for a threeday course to get a qualification certificate,” reported Bernama.
Dr Wan Azizah said this after attending a women’s carnival and “Back to School” programme in Kampung Pandan Dalam here.
The counsellors’ programme was by the Malaysian Board of Counsellors and the Department of Women Development (JPW).
Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah said 26,601 women had benefited from various JPW programmes and initiatives this year.
These include the Women’s Anti- Crime programme, the Campaign To Tackle Violence Against Women, Round Table On Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) and Legal Clinic.
She said the government would continue to implement women’s empowerment programmes to enable them to actively and effectively contribute to national development.
Among the programmes were women’s economic empowerment through Community Based Enterprise (CBE) which were implemented by the State Women Development Office under JPW.
The programme equips women, including housewives and single mothers, with entrepreneur skills to generate income for themselves.