The project MENTALITY pilots established European promising practices targeted at children, healthcare and other care workers, people with pre-existing mental health problems and psychosocial disabilities, migrants, and service providers.

The project establishes a path for successful and sustainable transfer and adaptation of practices in participating countries that also leads to in-country upscale and further future implementation in other EU countries. Capacity-building activities and materials are developed and made available to support this. An EU-wide awareness-raising campaign is carried out at the same time to break a major barrier to mental health support, stigma and discrimination.

 

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The MENTALITY Consortium

The consortium of the MENTALITY project is made of 7 organisations across 6 European countries. Learn more:

About Mental Health Europe

Mental Health Europe is a European non-governmental network organisation committed to the promotion of positive mental health, the prevention of mental distress, the improvement of care, advocacy for social inclusion and the protection of the rights of (ex)users of mental health services, persons with psychosocial disabilities, their families and carers.

MHE works closely with the European Institutions and international bodies to mainstream mental health in all policies and end mental health stigma. Mental Health Europe represents associations and individuals in the field of mental health including users of mental health services, professionals, service providers and volunteers. Together with its members, MHE formulates recommendations for policy makers to develop mental health friendly policies. MHE places users of mental services at the centre of its work to ensure the voice of people who have experienced mental ill health is heard across Europe.

 

Mental Health Europe & Mentality

Mental Health Europe is the coordinator of the project Mentality, and the leader for the work for the Work Package 1 and Work Package 2. Work Package 1 covered the project coordination and the supervision of the activities implemented by the consortium partners. Work Package 2 mainly relies on the Communication, Awareness Raising and Exploitation (CARE) Plan, which supports partners’ communication activities throughout the whole length of the project.

About EuroHealthNet

EuroHealthNet is the not-for-profit partnership of public health agencies and organisations building a healthier future for all by addressing the determinants of health and reducing inequalities.

The Brussels-based partnership includes 64 organisations in 28 European countries, which steer the work of the office through three collaborating platforms: Practice, Policy, and Research, with a core team amplifying the work. EuroHealthNet focuses on health in all policies, reducing health inequalities gaps and gradients, working on determinants across the life course, contributing to sustainability and wellbeing of people and planet.

 

EuroHealthNet & Mentality

Within the MENTALITY consortium, EuroHealthNet primarily focuses on the transfer and implementation of good practices in the field of mental health and social inclusion. The EuroHealthNet Team analysed the implementation of the pilots and summarised the lessons learned by project partners into tangible insights. These insights informed the creation of training materials (guidelines and video materials) for future implementation of the piloted practices.

 

Access the training materials here.

 

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About ESTUAR Foundation

Estuar Foundation is the largest NGO in Romania that works for and with persons that were diagnosed with mental illnesses, with 30 years of experience. The foundation offers social and alternative options to adults with mental health problems for their inclusion in the Romanian community. It was the first organisation in Romania to create a network of accredited and recognized community day care and housing services for adults with mental health problems. It offers a variety of services: among others, sheltered housing as an alternative to hospitalisation and institutionalisation; counselling, “parents’ school” and information points in psychiatric hospitals for families and informal carers, awareness raising campaign, legal advice.

 

Estuar Foundation & Mentality

Within Mentality project, Estuar Foundation implements MapaWsparcia, a project that was succesfully launched in Poland: a non-profit dedicated interactive map of facilities providing free mental health support to people experiencing mental health distress and those in vulnerable situations. The facilities listed in the map can be mental health centres, therapy services, peer support, survivors’ shelters, centres for children and adolescents and more.

You can access the Map of Mental Health Services at this link.

 

Download the implementation infographic

Follow Estuar Foundation on Facebook and Instagram

About LDZ

League for Mental Health Slovakia‘s (LDZ) mission is to improve mental health, reduce stigma and discrimination related to mental health, and ensure access to high-quality mental health services for all individuals in Slovakia.
LDZ was created in 2000 to support the reform of the mental healthcare system in Slovakia by engaging the public. The League is the umbrella organization of NGOs active in the mental health field. It is a partner to the government in system change discussions, gives voice to patients and experts, and is Slovakia’s leading advocate of mental health. It operates a mental health helpline for Slovaks and Ukrainians, where psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other mental health senior professionals are hired.

 

LDZ & Mentality

The goal of LDZ’s work on Mentality is to create an Interactive Map that connects people experiencing any challenges in mental health with service providers, including NGOs providing community-based services and specialized care providers.

Access the Map of Support at this link. 

 

Download the implementation infographic

 

LDZ is also dedicated to improving the mental health of children affected by COVID19 through the innovative Hopeful, Healthy, and Happy Living and Learning Toolkit / Teachers’ Guide.

 

Download the implementation infographic

 

Follow LDZ on Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram

About Prolepsis

Prolepsis Institute, a civil non-for-profit organization, was established in 1990 in Athens. With a strong belief in health being a fundamental right, Prolepsis Institute has undertaken a leading role in the field of public health, by designing and implementing initiatives on various health issues and in different sectors (e.g. education, workplace) targeting a wide range of population groups, such as children and adolescents, women, migrants, and the elderly, and different types of occupational groups.

 

Prolepsis Institute & Mentality

Within the MENTALITY project, Prolepsis leads the development and implementation of the project Monitoring & Evaluation framework (M&E) and activities. The goal of this work package (WP3) is to ensure that independent evaluation is conducted to assess and analyze the implementation of the project.

Prolepsis also leads work package 5, which focuses on translating the promising practice “A Hopeful, Healthy, and Happy Living and Learning Toolkit / Teachers’ Guide” to new contexts, strengthening partnerships with key stakeholders across sectors and countries, and improving processes for the practical implementation of new knowledge in different scenarios.

 

Download the implementation infographic

 

Follow Prolepsis on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram

 

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About Riga City Council

Riga City Council is the government of the city of Riga, the capital of Latvia. The Riga City Council consists of 60 councilors who are elected every 4 years is established based on party factions. The work of the Riga City Council is organized by the Deputy Mayors, the Presidium, City Executive Director, District Executive Directors, and the staff of municipal institutions and enterprises. One of Riga City Council’s institution is Welfare Department, which Health Board is responsible for organizing the receipt of social services and social assistance and health promotion and disease prevention for the residents of the city of Riga.

 

Riga City Council & Mentality

Within the Mentality Riga City Council takes part in work package 4. Work package’s 4 target group is care staff (social workers and healthcare workers). Practice “Team Reflection” has been implemented to promote the psycho-emotional health of care professionals in increased workload and high-stress conditions. The approach is based on the idea that healthcare professionals, in the presence of a professional specialist, in the known environment, together with colleagues who have experienced the same challenges, exchange experiences and become counsellors on how to manage stress and help each other to keep good psycho-emotional health.

 

Download the implementation infographic

 

Find more about the Riga City Council activities here.

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About the Polish Migration Forum Foundation

Polish Migration Forum Foundation offers comprehensive and professional support to refugees and migrants living in Poland.We specialize in providing psycho-social and integration support, with particular attention to the needs of children, adolescents, single parents, women and people with disabilities.

 

Polish Migration Forum Foundation & Mentality

A mental health support programme for migrants and refugees was created in Poland, drawing inspiration from the Mind-Spring training developed by the ARQ Nationaal Psychotrauma Centrum in the Netherlands. The new method, called “Discover Your Potential,” is a preventive group intervention providing psychoeducation for migrant communities, targeting young adults aged 18-35. Each session is led by two trainers: a mental health professional and a trainer with a migrant background. The inclusion of trainers with a migrant background, known as peer educators, adds significant value by ensuring that the content is effectively translated to meet the language and cultural needs of the participants.

 

Download the implementation infographic

 

Follow the Polish Migration Forum Foundation on Facebook

 

Evidence-Based Mental Health Quality Practices of the Mentality project

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The Mentality Practices

Interactive map of centres providing mental health support

The interactive map of mental health support centres (MapaWsparcia.PL practice) was originally developed in Poland. The MENTALITY project facilitated the adaptation and replication of this practice in Romania and Slovakia. MapaWsparcia.PL is a non-profit, dedicated interactive map that identifies facilities offering free mental health support to individuals experiencing mental health distress and those in vulnerable situations, particularly during times of crisis.

New approach to support care professional teams

The Dignity and Pride Programme in the Netherlands has introduced a novel approach called ‘Team Reflection’ to provide support for professional care teams in maintaining their well-being. The MENTALITY project has facilitated the adaptation and replication of this practice in Latvia. This approach is based on the premise that healthcare professionals, when surrounded by their team members and colleagues who have encountered similar challenges, are best equipped to cope with stress. Participants are equipped with tools to address stress and are encouraged to support each other through a peer-to-peer approach within their teams.

Hopeful, Healthy, and Happy Living and Learning Toolkit / Teachers’ Guide

The “Hopeful, Healthy, and Happy Living and Learning Toolkit / Teachers’ Guide” is a collaborative effort between REPSSI, APSSI, and the IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support (PS Centre), with support from MHPSS.net and funding from Education Cannot Wait. This comprehensive toolkit comprises the Guide for Teachers, the Parent-Caregiver Guide, and the Activity Guide for Teachers, Parents, and Children. Within the framework of the Mentality project, the teachers’ guide was implemented in Slovakia and Greece as a tool to help teachers assist children in reflecting on their pandemic experiences and developing essential coping skills. It includes exercises and activities focused on 16 key life skills that aid in cognitive, social, and emotional development, with the goal of fostering resilience and enhancing psychosocial well-being.

“Discover Your Potential:” measures to support mental health of migrants and refugees in times of crisis

A mental health support programme for migrants and refugees was created in Poland, drawing inspiration from the Mind-Spring training developed by the ARQ Nationaal Psychotrauma Centrum in the Netherlands. The new method, called “Discover Your Potential,” is a preventive group intervention providing psychoeducation for migrant communities, targeting young adults aged 18-35. Each session is led by two trainers: a mental health professional and a trainer with a migrant background. The inclusion of trainers with a migrant background, known as peer educators, adds significant value by ensuring that the content is effectively translated to meet the language and cultural needs of the participants.

  • Practice owner: Inspired by the Mind-Spring training by the ARQ Nationaal Psychotrauma Centrum, Netherlands
  • Implementers: Polish Migration Forum, Poland

Contacts

If you wish to get in contact with the project coordinators, please send an email to e.delsavio@mentalhealtheurope.org

Co-funded by the European Union

Co-funded by the European Union under the EU4Health Programme (EU4H)-Grant Agreement Nº: 101079990. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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