Where an honest answer depends on your specific situation, we say so, and where a detail is better confirmed in person, we would rather you call than read something out of date here.
Getting started
Call +256 770 700944, message the same number on WhatsApp (answered by a Client Services Officer), email info@safeplacesuganda.com, or use the private message form. First calls are exploratory; nothing gets decided in them.
No. You can contact us directly. Referrals from professionals are also welcome.
Yes, and many people do. We can discuss the situation, how to raise it with your person, and support for you. A family member can begin the process and support the assessment; assessment and treatment themselves always involve the person directly.
Yes. That is a normal use of the phone line.
The Kyambogo out-patient centre is open Monday to Saturday, 8:00 am–5:00 pm (last appointment 5:00 pm), public holidays included; only Sundays are off. Appointments are typically one hour. The Bujjuko residential centre is open every day of the year and admits patients at any hour. The phone is answered around the clock; email and the message form are read and answered by a Client Services Officer, so a reply can take longer than a call — if your matter cannot wait, phone.
Assessment and treatment
Through a clinical assessment: a structured conversation covering your history, health, current concerns, and daily life, plus standardised tools where needed. Treatment recommendations follow from it. More detail is on the assessment page.
The recommendation comes from the assessing professional, with the reasoning explained; the decision is made with you. Broadly, out-patient care suits conditions manageable from home, and residential care is advised where closer monitoring, stabilisation, or distance from a harmful environment is needed.
It varies with the condition and the person, and any number given before assessment is a guess. For orientation from our programmes: residential stays commonly run from about two weeks up to 180 days, addiction rehabilitation runs 90 to 180 days, and psychiatric admissions last as long as the psychiatrist advises. Medically supervised detox runs for a minimum of two weeks, and can take longer depending on the substance and the person; the plan is confirmed at assessment and the care team adjusts as they go.
Medication may be prescribed and reviewed by the psychiatric team where clinically needed, alongside therapy rather than instead of it.
Residential admission is from age 18, but assessment at our Kyambogo out-patient centre is available at any age — anyone under 18 is seen with a parent or guardian, and planned assessment happens with parental or guardian consent. Where a young person needs treatment, that is arranged with the consent and involvement of parents or guardians — through our out-patient service where appropriate, or by referral to specialist child and adolescent services. If you are asking about a specific young person, call and describe the situation. Immediate safety or safeguarding concerns are managed under applicable law and professional duties.
Privacy
The professionals involved in your care. What you tell us is confidential, shared beyond your care team only with your consent, where the law requires or permits it, or where safety makes it necessary. We do not contact your workplace. Family or next of kin are ordinarily part of care planning and are kept in touch with general progress; the intimate detail of your sessions stays within the care team.
Your recorded family contact or next of kin is ordinarily kept informed of general progress and practical arrangements, discharge planning included; what you share in sessions stays private, and no one automatically receives your clinical record. In some situations Ugandan law may require or permit us to provide limited information — about an admission, consent or review rights, or a serious safety or safeguarding concern — and we share only what is required or necessary.
Practical
Out-patient centre: Plot 12, Lancaster Avenue, Kyambogo Lower Estates, Kampala. Residential centre: Bujjuko, about 19 km along Mityana–Fort Portal Road. Details on the locations page.
A psychiatric consultation is UGX 100,000 and a psychotherapy session is UGX 80,000; in-patient daily rates range from UGX 100,000 to 150,000, depending on the care recommended and the room type. Every figure is confirmed with you at first contact, and rates can change. Consultations are not free. You can pay by mobile money (MTN and Airtel), Visa or card, bank transfer, or cash at the office.
Sanlam Allianz, Jubilee, Minet, Prudential, APA, ICEA, AAR, CIC and Britam cover psychiatric care and psychotherapy or counselling, both in-patient and out-patient. Cover is confirmed with the insurer case by case, so bring your policy details to the first conversation.
Beyond medical records and current medications, we will tell you exactly what to bring, and what to leave at home, when your admission is arranged.
Airport pick-up can be arranged for clients coming from abroad, and inland transport at a cost.
Telephone-based support is available where attending in person isn’t possible, though face-to-face care is preferable where it can be managed. Follow-up care can also run by phone, video, or online sessions.
Families
After prior discussion with the client, yes: family therapy and psycho-education are part of how we work, and the family support programme is open to you in your own right.
You can still get support for yourself, and our family programme is open to families whose loved one is not in treatment. See “When a loved one refuses help.”
Talk to someone who understands
You can call at any hour. A conversation is information, not commitment.