Sign at our Treatment Center in Phnom Penh

The Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) Cambodia is Cambodia’s leading NGO in the field of mental health care and psychosocial support.

TPO Cambodia was established in February 1995 as a branch of the Netherlands-based NGO ‘TPO International’ with the aim to alleviate psychological and mental health problems of Cambodians. In 2000 it was registered as an independent local NGO, ‘TPO Cambodia’, run and staffed by Cambodians. Since its beginnings in 1995, TPO Cambodia has provided mental health care and support to more than 200.000 Cambodians.

At TPO Cambodia we strongly believe that ‘There is no health without mental health’ [1] and firmly subscribe to the UN’s principle that the right to health care, including mental health care, is a fundamental, universal human right [2].

Just like the World Health Organization, we define health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease” and intrinsically linked to the promotion of well-being, the prevention of mental disorders, and the treatment and rehabilitation of people affected by mental disorders.

Along with providing quality mental health care to Cambodians via a range of grass-roots projects throughout the country and our Treatment Center in Phnom Penh, we are also a training center in the field of mental health care and psychosocial support. We also conduct research and provide consultancy, often in collaboration with partner organizations and research institutes. We also aim to raise awareness across Cambodia about mental health, promote mental health care and psychosocial well-being, and advocate for mental health services in Cambodia. In doing so, we aim to influence and bring about positive health policy change. Finally, some of our work is linked to – and contributes to – conflict resolution, peace building and social justice.

TPO has more than 50 staff members – all experienced mental health professionals as well as some management and support staff. All staff are Cambodian. We have offices in Phnom Penh (HQ, Treatment Center and Training Center), Battambang, Siem Reap, Chi Kraeng, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham and Tboung Khmum.

Our work has been made possible largely thanks to the support of our international donors. We also generate part of our income through our Training Center and Treatment Center.

To accomplish our mission, we collaborate with a vast network of other organizations consisting of a number of Cambodian government bodies and ministries, organizations from the ‘UN family’ such as UN Women, international NGOs and many Cambodian NGOs. We are a member of various umbrella organizations and committees, and also work closely with the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) and the University of Glasgow (Scotland, UK) to name but a few of the many research and education institutes we partner with.

NGO-GPP Certificate of Good Practice

We are a registered not-for-profit and have been certified by the Cooperation Committee of Cambodia (CCC) since 2010 acknowledging TPO’s ongoing commitment to the Code of Ethical Principles and the minimum standards for NGOs.Certification is awarded to NGOs that consistently demonstrate accountability and good governance. For more info, check the CCC’s website here.

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[1]Source WHO

[2]Source UN