CAFS - Your home away from home...

CAFS was founded with a simple yet powerful vision: to create a world where mental health care is accessible, compassionate and stigma-free. Our journey began in 2016 with a small team of dedicated volunteers carrying out a series of creative art-therapy-based workshops for children with and without special needs.

We then grew into a multifaceted not-for-profit organisation in collaboration with like-minded mental health professionals who recognised the growing need for inclusive, stigma-free, family-centered mental health support spaces in our community.

Why/Need

In Sri Lanka, mental health (MH) care primarily occurs within hospitals and private clinics, which often lack inclusiveness, comfort and security. This, coupled with mental health stigma deters individuals from seeking support. Additionally, treatment often prioritises pharmacotherapy over psychotherapy, focusing on the biomedical aspects of mental health while neglecting the social dimensions of mental distress. As a result, clinical recovery tends to be prioritised over personal recovery.

The CAFS model addresses the various elements that influence mental health outcomes from one single hub, promoting a sustainable solution to MH care. At our core we provide clinical and psychosocial services in a home-like environment, shifting from traditional clinical settings. We look outward to build stronger strategic relationships locally and internationally. We also incorporate research to understand MH trends and identify barriers to care, further extending support to diverse communities and addressing their specific needs.

Additionally, CAFS trains and mentors individuals, organisations and future MH professionals, contributing to the sustainability of the model.

The CAFS Approach:

We take an inclusive approach to mental health care, recognising that every individual and family is unique. Our services are designed to be flexible, responsive, and tailored to meet the specific needs of those we serve.

From our clinical services to our community workshops, every aspect of our work is guided by our core values: respect, safety, compassion and enrichment. We believe these values create the foundation for meaningful, lasting change.

The Journey through a decade of Growing Together:

Over the years, CAFS has grown from a series of creative art-therapy-based workshops to a comprehensive mental health service serving many individuals, families, communities and organisations both locally and globally. Our growth has been driven by the needs of our community and the trust that our service users place in us.

We've expanded our services to include specialised programmes for children, adolescents and adults, always maintaining our focus on tailored, individualised care. With the support of our growing team of psychologists and counsellors, we've reached many communities, established partnerships with organisations and institutions, explored research avenues, spread awareness around mental health and contributed to strengthening the mental health service arm in Sri Lanka.

Community Impact

Today, CAFS serves over 5,000 individuals/families annually, providing a wide range of services from individual counselling, psychometric assessments, behavioural interventions and family therapy, from educational workshops to corporate trainings, from community mental health awareness to breaking barriers of MH stigma. Our impact extends beyond the individuals we serve to the broader community.

We've trained many budding MH professionals, conducted awareness campaigns at different scales both onsite and online, and worked with schools, workplaces, and community organisations to promote mental health literacy and reduce stigma.

Looking Forward

As we look to the future, our commitment to our service users remains unwavering. We continue to innovate and expand our services, always guided by the needs of our community and our core values.

We dream of a world where mental health care is truly accessible to everyone, where individuals and families feel supported and empowered, and where no one has to face mental health challenges alone.

This is the future we're building, one person at a time.

Join Our Journey

Whether you're seeking support for yourself or a loved one, looking to volunteer your time, or simply want to learn more about mental health, we invite you to join us on this journey.

Together, we can create a community where mental health is understood, supported, and celebrated.

Thank you for being part of the CAFS story.