Creating synergies - Joint meeting of project partners and European Advisory Committee, Brussels, 10 May 2006
Josée Van Remoortel, MHE Senior Policy Advisor, gave an introduction to the aims and objectives of the meeting. It served as an opportunity for the project partners to present some of the identified good practices and to evaluate them together with the members of the European Advisory Committee as well as to discuss ways how and where to look for further good practices combating the social exclusion of people with mental health problems. The aim of the meeting was also to discuss future strategies and possibilities of collaboration in the area or social inclusion between MHE and its project partners and the Advisory Committee.
Following the presentations and discussion of all the hitherto identified good practices several points were discussed:
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The project partners had all tried to contact the people responsible for the NAPs/Inclusion in order to inform them about the situation of social exclusion of people with mental health problems and their needs in their countries. With regard to the June 2006 European Council, political awareness of the issue of social inclusion of people with mental health problems should be raised through intensified collaboration with other European networks that carry out projects in this field such as AGE, EAPN and the Social Platform.
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In the same way as the project aims to enter the discussion on the NAPs/Inclusion the N on health and long-term care should also be taken into account.
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There is a need for good practices in all the partner countries but also for a frame to develop these practices through improved relationships between (ex)users of mental health services and the local communities.
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The challenge in the area of mental health and social inclusion is that the issue relates to various other dimensions, age, ethnicity, poverty etc. This interconnection needs to be communicated to the policy makers.
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There is a need to also look at social exclusion within the health and mental health sector, e.g. by fighting stigma and raising the awareness of mental health professionals.
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There are existing good practices in all countries, but often these are one-shot projects that are being carried out in isolation. It is important not only to strengthen the connection between different sectors in one country but also between good practices and projects and to support their collaboration.