In 2002, UMSON was named the first Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Collaborating Center for Mental Health Nursing in the United States; one of only two in the Americas. The Center functioned as an independent program within the Office of Global Health since 2009. In July 2010 it completed the Terms of Reference developed every five years through consultation with PAHO/WHO with the intention of furthering PAHO Resolutions and promoting the WHO’s Strategic Plan, while utilizing strengths of the SON faculty and staff.
In its last term, the Center initiated a qualitative survey of the mental health nursing workforce in Latin America with the goal of better understanding the context, content, and conditions related to the practice of mental health nursing in Mexico, Central and South America, Canada, and the Caribbean. This study and its results have been presented to PAHO/WHO as they address the Region’s mental health human resource needs. In addition, the Center collaborated with the University of the West Indies, Jamaica and PAHO in planning and implementation of a multidisciplinary training for the prevention of workplace violence in health care settings.