IMH launches fund with TeleChoice for mental health efforts
To date, TeleChoice and its partners have collectively pledged S$138,000
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THE Institute of Mental Health’s (IMH) Woodbridge Hospital Charity Fund (WHCF) signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday (Oct 2) with TeleChoice International to launch a fund to improve mental health efforts in Singapore.
Under the five-year partnership, TeleChoice – a mainboard-listed subsidiary of ST Telemedia – will spearhead a fundraising campaign and rally donations from its partners.
To date, TeleChoice and its partners, including Samsung Electronics Singapore and Huawei, have collectively pledged S$138,000.
Pauline Wong, chief executive of TeleChoice, said: “We chose a sustained commitment over a one-off corporate social responsibility project, planning to raise funds over the next five years while engaging our business partners to create an ecosystem that advances mental health awareness together.”
IMH can then tap the fund for environmental, social and governance (ESG)-related programmes.
Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling, who was guest-of-honour at the signing, said: “Donations raised from this collaboration will enable IMH to embark on initiatives aimed at raising awareness, destigmatising mental illnesses and improving mental health literacy.”
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Wong noted that the fund is a ground-up effort, with the idea for it arising after conversations with colleagues about the prevalence of mental health issues in their lives.
The chief executive highlighted the three Es for the ESG fund – environment, engagement and education. This includes engaging students from institutes of higher learning to raise awareness about the issue, and conducting programmes such as corporate workshops and school talks.
Wong said: “The long-term goal of (the ESG fund) is to increase awareness and destigmatise mental health issues, fostering a more open and supportive community.”
Focusing on the “S” of ESG
The ESG fund will focus on the social aspect, an area that does not receive as much of the spotlight as environment and governance, added Wong.
Associate Professor Daniel Fung, chief executive of IMH, said the funds raised can go towards improving mental health literacy, by investing in projects with educational institutions or companies to create a programme on counselling skills and making it widely available.
The programme, which will be available to members of the public, will train them in specific skills that will help in maintaining their own mental health and help others, he noted.
“(There are) educational components, where people learn how to counsel (with) courses for the public – training specific skills and competencies that will help in either maintaining their own mental health or helping others. I think that there is not enough public funding for this,” Dr Fung added.
He highlighted that in hospitals, the majority of funds go towards medical services – but with the development of this ESG fund, the money raised can be disbursed and benefit the greater community, instead of just patients and their families.
“We will be able to provide information that will improve knowledge, change attitudes, and alter the behaviours of people towards the mentally ill, as well as mental health issues,” said Dr Fung about the usage of the fund.
As a registered charity managed by IMH, WHCF will evaluate the proposals it receives – the majority of which will be in-house proposals – and disburse the funds accordingly.
On tracking the outcomes of the fund’s initiatives, TeleChoice’s Wong said: “We will utilise performance metrics such as participation rates, community engagement, and feedback from beneficiaries.”
She added that IMH and TeleChoice will gain insights into the project’s effectiveness by collecting data, and conducting surveys and assessments.
The first fundraising event for the fund was the Walk for Mental Health, a 152-km relay walk across Singapore from Monday to Tuesday. Organised by TeleChoice, the walk also involved participation from IMH and Samsung.
A greater need to improve mental wellness
The signing of the memorandum of understanding came on the back of the release of insurer AIA Singapore’s AIA Live Better Study 2024 on Sep 25.
The study revealed that one in two Singapore consumers prioritise mental wellness more now compared to before the pandemic. Additionally, three in five believe that they may need more resources or support to improve mental wellness. Key resources include affordability and the presence of workplace initiatives.
Members of the public can also contribute to WHCF.
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