Albacete, May Therese F. <br/><br/>
Oplan ibalik ang ligaya program strengthening of the implementation of mental health program in the Municipality of Leon, Iloilo / 
May Therese F. Albacete. 
 - 100 leaves: color illustrations 
<br/><br/>
<br/><br/>Graduate School of Public and Development Management. 
<br/><br/> The Municipality of Leon has an existing Mental Health Program that is currently being implemented with well-trained RHU personnel. However, its implementation cannot be realized without a sustainable budget and policies that would assure continuous care of our mentally ill patients. Moreover, primary health care workers are incapable of identifying and managing mentally ill patients.  This Action Plan and Project employed a descriptive study design with its both qualitative and quantitative methods. This study was conducted in the Municipality of Leon, a 2nd class municipality in the province of Iloilo. The respondents were mentally ill patients, caregivers and respective treatment partners. Patients who started treatment from April 2016 up to August 2017 were included in the study. These patients were validated and confirmed by the author and the Municipal Health Officer, who both MHGAP trained.  Majority of the mental health disorders in the municipality of Leon are Psychosis that constitutes 88% of the cases. The poor healthseeking behavior of the families of these patients were due to inaccessibility to mental health care services in the municipality mainly because of poor health education and financial constrains. Appropriate mental health services should be accessible, acceptable and of adequate quality. Legislation can make a difference in ensuring parity with other health care services and ensuring what is being provided is appropriate to people's need. Adequate funding must be provided to put provisions of the law to take effect.  Implementation of the mental health program in the community can be well implemented and strengthened through effective interventions by improving accessibility of mental health services through capacity building of the primary health care providers, effective referral system, and formulating policies supporting the sustainability of the program. 
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Topical Terms: </label><br/>Mental health.<br/>Mental Health Program--Leon, Iloilo, Philippines.<br/>Community Health Services.