BOGOR – The Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment (Kemenko PM), in collaboration with the National Center for Mental Health (PKJN) of Marzoeki Mahdi Hospital and the Bogor City Government, launched the Sentra Cipta Mandiri (SCM) program in Sukasari Urban Village, East Bogor District, Bogor City, on Monday (5/5/2025). This program focuses on social empowerment, community strengthening, and the development of locally-based psychosocial services. Through a participatory approach, SCM aims to build an inclusive, resilient, productive society that is aware of the importance of mental health.
The Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar, stated that this program is a pilot project initiated by citizens to address economic and social issues, and it will be expanded nationwide in the future.
"This activity is a pilot project stemming from a community initiative to address poverty and social problems in pursuit of community-based self-reliance. In the future, this kind of initiative will be replicated across the country," said the Minister, who is popularly known as Gus Menteri.
Long before the program's launch, PKJN RS Marzoeki Mahdi had already taken an active role by deploying a team of professionals to conduct assessments within the community, focusing on mental health, individual motivation, and behaviors that influence productivity.
On April 15–16, 2025, PKJN RS Marzoeki Mahdi served as a resource person in an intensive training session for 30 SCM cadres. Each participant received in-depth knowledge about non-substance addictions, such as online gambling, social media, and online gaming, as well as methods for early detection and community-based interventions.
Following the training, these cadres—accompanied by the PKJN team—conducted screenings among the community to assess online gambling behavior.
Nova Riyanti Yusuf, President Director of PKJN RS Marzoeki Mahdi, shared the initial findings from the screenings conducted by SCM cadres. She explained that currently, there is no data presenting the prevalence rate of online gambling addiction in the community.
People are still highly reluctant to admit to this behavior due to fears of potential criminal prosecution. Meanwhile, online gambling has increasingly become an entry point to poverty-related issues in society.
Therefore, SCM cadres serve as a bridge for data collection using behavioral instruments on online gambling developed by PKJN RS Marzoeki Mahdi.
If screening results indicate gambling disorder, assistance from various stakeholders is needed—not only to address the addiction itself but also to support the recovery of economic conditions and the development of individual productivity.
Today’s launch event was also attended by the Mayor of Bogor, the Chair of the Bogor City Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), senior and mid-level officials from Kemenko PM, the Chair of the BPJS Employment Supervisory Board, representatives from Baznas, IPB University, University of Indonesia, sponsors, and various community leaders.
All guests were invited to tour the community empowerment activities, including organic waste management, MSME product showcases, mechanical workshops, waste banks, and more. Even Gus Menteri took a mental health stress test provided by the PKJN RS Marzoeki Mahdi team via the Mobile Mental Health Service (MMHS), and spoke directly with a mental health survivor who shared a testimonial about the services received from PKJN RS Marzoeki Mahdi. (AR)