Local Mental Health Systems

Country

Italy

Project Description

A self help centre run in collaboration with mental health users has been established in Prato and Florence. One of the main activities is the organisation of exchanges of experiences and monitoring of different models of interaction at the local level among associations, services and local governments. There is an informal network of local committees composed of users, relatives, service providers, local politicians and managers. Each year, since 2002, a Local Mental Health Systems seminar is organized in Prato to allow all the participants to come together.

Project Aims

The project aims to monitor and help the development of better ways to help people with mental heath problems at local level through the joint collaboration of users, relatives, service providers, local politicians and managers.

Areas

Education, Training

Effectiveness

The project’s activities, methodologies and approaches are useful with regard to the needs of people with mental health problems.

Sustainability

There are some necessary capabilities or inputs of the organisation implementing the practice (knowledge in research both clinical and sociological, financial and human resources, cooperation with all stakeholders, long-term strategic planning that ensure that it is suitable for the purpose).

Innovation

There are many innovative aspects of the project and its methodology of delivery to people with mental health problems. Associations, users and relatives are actively involved in the project since late 1980s.

Added Value

The project’s activities, methodologies and impacts make a significant contribution with regard to the needs of people with mental health problems, in access to health and social services, employment, education, training services.

The practice’s activities, methodologies and impacts make a significant contribution with regard to already existing practices and policies in the area of social exclusion

Transferability

The practice and its related materials are potentially transferable to other countries and communities, yet flexible and adaptable to local conditions.

Mainstreaming Potential

The practice has an added value compared to policies deficits.

There is a coherent strategy of the practice’s incorporation into respective policies.

Costs of the Project

20.000 Euros per year

People involved in the Project

Associations, professionals, users, relatives, universities, local authorities

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Project

Strengths of the project: to provide adequate theories and methodologies for innovative practices.

Weaknesses of the project: dominance of the medical model and of the therapeutic approach.

Contact Person for the Project

Pino Pini, Giuliana Missio, Romano Turri
ppini@usl4.toscana.it