➔ CAFS-EMBER (UK) Mentorship Programme
CAFS was chosen from 100s of other global organizations by EMBER Foundation (UK) in 2020 as one of the community-based mental health initiatives from around the globe that they mentor and fund over a period of 12-24 months.
Throughout the year we worked together with team EMBER to build organizational capacity and sustainability.
Our partnership together also resulted in CAFS being recognised on an international platform.
- Publication of article about CAFS in the Mariwella Health Initiative Journal ‘Reframe’ – written by our founder Giselle Dass and Rini Sinha from Ember https://mhi.org.in/voice/details/home-away-home/?utm_source=MHI&utm_campaign=7227bf8f28-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_11_27_06_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4cab8938c7-7227bf8f28-
- We were featured on ‘Behind the Screen: a Zoom portrait series’ created by Ember in recognition of World Mental Health Day to celebrate the people behind the different organisations they work with https://embermentalhealth.org/perspectives/behind-the-screen-a-zoom-portrait-series
- Our founding director Giselle Dass spoke at the United for Global Mental Health’s “Mental Health For All” webinar. She was a part of the panel discussion with speakers from UNICEF, Bernard van Leer foundation and Global Financing Facility, where they explored some of the most pressing issues around mental health in early childhood development.
CAFS is featured on
EMBER
https://embermentalhealth.org/ourCohorts/children-adolescent-and-family-services-cafs
Mental Health Innovation Network (MHIN)
Sparks of Care Podcast
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/83e7df8a-c0b5-4763-8a56-738a741049f9/sparks-of-care
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1574892058
➔ COPE SL – Dealing with mental and social stress during Covid-19

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for mental health support was on the rise. CAFS worked in collaboration with several psychologists in Sri Lanka to initiate COPE; a platform to provide free online counselling and useful resources for those dealing with mental stressors directly linked to the current pandemic.
For more information visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CopeSriLanka
➔ CAFS – LRH (Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Colombo) collaborative support network
The clinical research team at CAFS is working in partnership with the pediatric neurology unit at Lady Ridgeway Hospital to provide psychosocial support to children and their families visiting the unit as well as conducting neuropsychological evaluations to provide further support in their care.
➔ Validating a neuropsychological test battery for children in Sri Lanka
CAFS is currently working together with Professor Piyadasa Kodituwakku (Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics and Neurosciences, University of New Mexico) in developing a culturally grounded neuropsychological test battery that can be used to provide better support to children in Sri Lanka with neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions. We see this as a significant need as currently no such culturally validated neuropsychological test battery is available in the country.