The Columbia-World Health Organization (WHO) Center for Global Mental Health is a network of multidisciplinary Columbia University and international faculty dedicated to advancing the identification, assessment, and treatment of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders worldwide. The Center is based in the Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City.
A WHO Collaborating Center is an institution designated by WHO to form part of an international network supporting its programs at the country, intercountry, regional, interregional and global levels. Our Center was chartered as the WHO Collaborating Center for Capacity Building and Training in Global Mental Health in 2015. We are one of 54 WHO Collaborating Centers worldwide working with the WHO Department of Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use, and one of four located in the United States.
Dr. Geoffrey M. Reed serves as the Center’s Director. Our current 4-year work plan with WHO was approved in 2023.
As a part of our WHO work plan, we DEVELOP:
- measurement tools for the assessment of mental, neurological and substance use disorders across a range of settings
- systems and procedures for coordination and management of global mental health data
- training resources and materials for mental health and primary care professionals on the identification and diagnosis of mental, neurodevelopmental and substance use disorders
We PROVIDE scientific and technical input:
- to support dissemination of WHO’s best practices related to mental health and the workplace
- to facilitate the development of guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and care of neurological disorders
- to inform WHO’s work on scalable psychological interventions