Good Practices for Combating Social Exclusion of People with Mental Health Problems
The project is led by Mental Health Europe and supported by the European Commission, DG Employment,
Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities - Community Action Programme to Combat Social Exclusion 2002-2006.
AIM OF THE PROJECT
The aim of the project is to demonstrate the link between mental health problems and social exclusion.
The focus is in particular on existing best practices that can contribute to tackling the inequalities that people with mental health problems encounter, in access to health and social services, employment, education, training services, housing, transport, leisure as well as the protection of their civil and human rights.
Through transnational exchange and comparison of effective practices, policy proposals to achieve greater social inclusion of people with mental health problems will be prepared.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE
- to identify, collect and analyse good practices combating social exclusion of people with mental health problems in the participating countries;
- to assess the transferability of the practices to other European countries, taking into account the major existing socio-economic and cultural differences;
- to organise exchange visits to selected good practices in the partner countries and to meet with policy makers, civil society and other stakeholders;
- to organise consultation at the European level with European NGOs active in the field of social inclusion in order to mainstream awareness about mental health issues;
- to establish an online database of best practices for combating social exclusion of people with mental health problems;
- to organise a European conference in order to raise the awareness of policy makers and ensure that the findings are taken up in the Social Inclusion Process at the local, national and European level;
- to disseminate the results and to raise awareness at all levels: local, regional, national and European.
PARTNERS
- Vlaamse Vereniging voor Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg, Belgium
- Advocacy Group for the Mentally Ill, Cyprus
- Czech Association for Mental Health
- Advocacy France
- Mental Health Ireland
- Associazione Italiana per la Salute Mentale (AISMe), Italy
- Coalition for Mental Health, Poland
- Slovak League for Mental Health
- SENT, Slovenian Association for Mental Health
- Penumbra, Scotland, UK
ACTIVITIES
A European Advisory Committee has been established. This Advisory Committee, composed of various European networks, supports the monitoring of the project and evaluates the project’s outcomes based on each of the networks’ specific and European point of view.
The partner organisations analyse and comment on the National Action Plans for Social Inclusion and look for good practices in their country. The selected good practices are evaluated by the partner organisations at focus group meetings with the different stakeholders in their country, in particular people with mental health problems, and by the European Advisory Committee.
Visits to the “best practices” in some of the participating countries have been organised.
MHE will set up an online database of good practices, which will be continuously updated.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Initial outcomes of the project resulting from the analysis of the situation of social exclusion of people with mental health problems confirm that social exclusion of people with mental health problems represents a major problem in all the ten partner countries.
Further points following from the analysis include:
- the great lack of transparent communication, exchange of information and well-coordinated cooperation between the different stakeholders in all the partner countries – especially between the users (and their families and carers) and NGOs working with them on the one hand and governmental players on the other hand
- the urgent need for concerted efforts and actions to promote the social inclusion of people with mental health problems by means of good practices
- the importance of taking the complexity of social exclusion of people with mental health problems into account and to respond to it adequately
- the need for involvement, participation and evaluation of people with mental health problems in the process of decision making in the area of social inclusion
- the importance to formulate policies with adequate grass-root involvement
The full report on the situation of social exclusion of people with mental health problems can be downloaded here: click here to download report
FINAL OUTCOMES
The final outcomes of the project were presented on 01 June 2007 in the frame of the Mental Health Europe Conference 2007 in Vienna, Austria. The event gathered over 50 participants coming from all over Europe.
Following a presentation of the aims, objectives and activities of the project by Sogol Noorani, Project Coordinator, each of the ten project partners gave an overview of the results of their analyses of factors that have blocked activities that promote the social inclusion of people with mental health problems in their countries at the national level as well as factors that have facilitated activities that promote social inclusion.
Presentations were also given by Liz Sayce from RADAR-The Disability Network on strategies for putting mental health and social inclusion at the heart of public policy; Erik Olsen from the European Network of (ex)Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP) presented the view of users on the issue of mental health and social inclusion; and Katarina Lindahl, Acting Head of Unit for Inclusion, Social Policy Aspects of Migration, Streamlining of Social Policies at the European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, gave a presentation on how the Open Method of Coordination in the field of Social Protection and Social Inclusion can support efforts to tackle remaining challenges in the field of mental health and well-being.
In the last session of the event John Henderson, MHE Senior Policy Advisor, presented the conclusions and recommendations resulting from the project. The key points that were highlighted centered around three sets of factors influencing the development of good practices promoting the social inclusion of people with mental health problems: factors concerning the policy level, factors concerning the relevant organisations and stakeholders, and factors concerning specific initiatives. All of these factors must be taken into consideration in order to improve the situation of social inclusion of people with mental health problems in an effective and sustainable way.
Further information about the event as well all the presentations held on that day can be found on the project website: www.mentalhealth-socialinclusion.org
DATABASE OF GOOD PRACTICES
On 01 June 2007, on the occasion of the
presentation of the final outcomes of the project in the frame of the MHE
Conference 2007 in Vienna, MHE launched the website of its
transnational exchange project "Good Practices for Combating Social Exclusion
of People with Mental Health Problems".
The database contains all the "best
practices" from the 10 partner countries broken down by country and also
by area. It is conceived as a source of inspiration for anybody who wants to learn about small, local
initiatives that help supporting the social inclusion of people with mental
health problems and that are easily transferable to other European
countries. MHE intends to constantly update the database as well as to extend
it to include good practices also from other European countries.
If you know of any good practices combating
social exclusion in any of the area listed above, e.g. training, employment,
housing, social/leisure activities, transport etc., or with a focus on a
particular group, e.g. women, young people, elderly, migrants etc. who
experience mental health problems, please let us know about them or send us the
names and details of the contact person for the project or initiative.
In order to visit the project website and
to access the database of good practices please go to: www.mentalhealth-socialinclusion.org
DIRECTORY OF GOOD PRACTICES
For further information please contact: Sogol Noorani, Project Coordinator
Email : sogol.noorani@mhe-sme.org
Tel. : +32 2 280 04 68
Fax : +32 2 280 16 04
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