Good Practices for Combating Social Exclusion of People with Mental Health Problems (2005-2007)

Funded by

European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities - Community Action Programme to Combat Social Exclusion

Duration

24 months, from 2005 to 2007

Summary

This project's aim was to demonstrate the link between mental health problems and social exclusion. The focus was, 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, transport and leisure, as well as the protection of their civil and human rights.

Objectives

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 organize 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.

Activities and outcomes

1) Establishment of a European Advisory Committee that supports the monitoring of the project and evaluates the project's outcomes.

2) Partner organisations analyse and comment on the National Action Plans for social inclusion and look for good practices in their country. Selected good practices are evaluated by the partner organisations at focus group meetings and by the European Advisory Committee.

3) Organised visits to the best practices in some of the participating countries.

4) Online database of good practices set up by MHE.