BACOLOD City – The City of Bacolod is establishing the Crisis Intervention Center, which aims to provide a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week action center to immediately act on cases of individuals and/or families in crisis situations.
An ordinance establishing the Bacolod City Crisis Intervention Facility, under the auspices of the City Health Office, was passed by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on third and final reading Wednesday.
Authored by Councilor Em Ang, the ordinance said crisis situations encompass a spectrum of circumstances brought about by a problem or an emergency, with which a person may find difficulty in coping without needed intervention.
These situations may present as family, economic and community situations, a significant life event, or secondary to a natural element, bringing about life-threatening concerns or mental health challenges, it said.
Mental health can be drastically affected by rapid social change; stressful household, school or work conditions; gender discrimination and sexual violence; social exclusion, unhealthy lifestyle, human rights violations and physical ill-health, which may require interventional support from the community, the ordinance said.
The local government of Bacolod is mandated by the Constitution, and entrusted by Bacolodnons to safeguard the health and well-being of every person under its care, it said.
The present administration under Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has declared health as one of its priority programs, it added.
The ordinance to be known as the “Crisis Intervention Facility Ordinance,” provides that the City Government of Bacolod will establish the Crisis Intervention Facility in any appropriate and available location or property owned by the city.
The amount of P13,123,023 will be appropriated from the General Fund for its implementation, to wit: An initial amount of P10 million for the construction/or renovation of the appropriate site for the facility; the amount of P935,023 for personal services allocation for the position of Psychologist lll; the amount of P1,188,000 for General Services to cover other personnel for the succeeding year; and the amount of P1 million for maintenance and other operating procedures for its first year of operations, and yearly as applicable. (Chrysee Semillano via tvds photo by tvds)
