Introduction. Colombia, with the exception of 34 countries and territories of the world, does not have a systematic evaluation of its mental health system. In this country, the department of Tolima has been affected to a large extent by the scourge of mental illnesses.Objective. Describe the advances and challenges in mental health in Tolima, to propose strategies for improvement that respond to the identified challenges.Materials and methods. A literature review was carried out and an instrument was designed, which was applied to evaluate the social coexistence and mental health dimension of the Department of Health of the department of Tolima. The evaluation instrument for mental health systems of the World Health Organization (WHO-IHEH) was used as a reference, being the guide to be replicated in future studies.Results. The Tolima, has a public policy of mental health and has shown great commitment to ensure timely access to mental health services. However, poor mental health positioning on public agendas, poor or limited budget, late recruitment or high turnover of the human resource and insufficient installed capacity for mental health care are the main challenges to be faced.Conclusions. It is necessary to promote primary health care as the central focus of mental health care and to guarantee sufficient economic and human resources to expand installed capacity and facilitate timely access to mental health services.
