The Natasha Goulbourn Foundation: Addressing depression, preventing suicides

MANILA, Philippines - A daughter’s death has inspired a mother to establish a foundation to help people fight depression and prevent suicides. The Natasha Goulbourn Foundation (NGF) creates programs that are geared towards community education, community-empowerment, and community-based assistance.

NGF team of experts and volunteers provide education and information services about depression awareness and suicide prevention through its University Lecture Series, as well as via public lectures and seminars in public schools, parish churches and barangays.

Founder-president Jean Goulborn explains that capacity building programs such as the “Gabay-Guro” and Gabay-Kabataan” provide counseling workshops for public school teachers, community health workers, as well as youth, barangay, church and other community-based leaders. Through this initiative, NGF hopes to build a strong network of “paracounselors” that will help address the mental health concerns of every barangay, and in the process eliminate the stigma attached to mental health conditions such as depression. 

Guided by its partnership with the Department of Health, and in collaboration with other NGOs, NGF works at providing counseling, diagnosis, management and preventive services in grassroots communities, especially those in areas with the highest OFW population – namely, Metro Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Batangas, Laguna, Maguindanao, Pangasinan, Rizal, Pampanga and Cebu.  Among these organizations are Ugnayan at Tulong para sa Maralitang Pamilya (UGAT) Foundation, Center for Family Ministries (CEFAM), Foundation for Adolescent Development (FAD), Philippine Mental Health Association, Pinoy Laughter Yoga and In Touch Community Services. 

In order to make these programs successful, NGF is reaching out to corporations to consider making community mental health program part of their generous undertakings. For every company that will enlist in a basic counseling workshop for their employees, they are able to support training of paracounselors of one barangay and one public school. 

“For next year NGF will include call centers in its line-up. By March 2011 we are ready to accept corporate clients. We are most excited to team up with result-oriented programs in rebuilding the mind to live life positively without the disease of depression,” says Jean.

For more information, visit website www.natashagoulbournfoundation.org, or call 0917-558-HOPE, 893-1893 or 897-2217.