HEALTH  & DIGNITY

                         research - action

 

 

 

 

 

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PROMOTION OF HEALTH & REINSERTION 1999-2000
for disadvantaged European people in

Athens
- Berlin - Brussels - Copenhagen - Helsinki - Lisbon - London - Madrid - Paris - Rome

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PRELIMINARY

Specific features of the H & D Project:

  1. Initiative: this project is an initiative of the grassroots i.e.: the practitioners who desire to make their practice more "inter-disciplinary" and "inter- sector-based" and to develop, in a more adequate way, the services proposed and at the same time to present the indications and recommendations to political entities.
  2. Object: exclusion & illness / "Health & Dignity" includes the "disadvantaged people" on an individual basis especially "homeless & mentally ill people" : this is the very target population.
  3. Complementarily: this project would be a complementary action of a previous project, supported by EU Commission: "Preliminary Survey on the adequacy of needs & services ".

 BASES

 Private welfare organisations & charity associations contribute in a effective and irreplaceable way to the Health promotion, information and education of the socially disadvantaged & socially excluded.

For this reason they are highly capable of providing information about their needs, and giving indications about the appropriate methods and strategies for primary and secondary health prevention.

These practices could be multiplied and efficiently supported by health policy makers in the implementation of "proximity" methods approach for health promotion and a dignified way of life for socially disadvantaged persons.

FINDING

The mental & physical health situation of disadvantaged people is deteriorating at the same time public services – for any citizen - become increasingly effective and specialised.

Their life expectancy is falling (75 years, national average, 40 years, homeless average, cf. ‘Crisis’, London 97).

Infectious and acute pathologies are increasing. This also affects negatively the national health budget.

Information about health care and hospital services and in particular access to them remains very difficult, if not impossible.

Health promotion, primary and secondary prevention measures, do not reach them.

Specific training is lacking for general practitioners as well as specialist doctors.

Networking remains difficult.

AIMS OF THE PROJECT

  1. Observing and evaluating the mental, physical & social health needs of disadvantaged people.
  2. Recording, analysing and assessing diverse good practices and methods in several European cities.
  3. Providing local, regional and European health policy makers with appropriate methods and indications which best ("proximity" approach) meet the health needs of this group of citizens.
  4. Promoting support and developing an interdisciplinary and inter-sector-based collaboration between welfare Organisations, charity Associations and public health services for a new partnership & action.
  5. Developing local network and structuring the European MHSE network, and liasing this network with other European networks working in the health sector.
  6. Publicising the results. Opening a Internet Forum and promoting training for social & health workers
  7. Preparing a feasibility study for the pilot & transnational project: "HEALTH IN THE STREET", in order to bring health promotion, education and prevention where they are: on the street, in the subway, and for circulating information and facilitating assess to health care.

EXPECTED RESULTS

Local Level

  1. Four seminars: Copenhagen, Rome, London, Berlin.
  2. Visit/debate: in each city where will be organised the seminars.
  3. Report/dossier on the situation of the 10 capitals.
  4. Inter-disciplinary and pluralist networking.
  5. Local awareness and circulation of information.
  6. Possible pilot project: "Health at the street".

European Level

  1. A European Seminar: Athens
  2. European report/dossier: "Health & dignity" with the comparative presentation of the context, the analysis of the needs and their indicators, comparative evaluation of the methodological and pragmatic input of the assistance associations in the health formation, education and development.
  3. Extension and development of the European network.
  4. European awareness and circulation (Commission, Parliament, Council).
  5. Possible presentation of the trans-national pilot project: "Health at the street".

Theoretical Level

  1. Priority : health prevention/promotion (mental health), deepening the analytical knowledge of the differentiated needs of the person as a whole, while highlighting the priorities as to health/well being of the disadvantaged people (homeless mentally ill).
  2. Heighten the awareness on interaction – connection: health & precariousness & dignity.
  3. Permanent and specific formation provided to the participants of this initiative, through the participation in colloquia and seminar.

Practical Level

  1. Quarterly letters and bulletins: information and indications resulting from this initiative will be circulated in the newsletters of the institutions and appropriate magazines. A MHSE Liaison letter is also part of this plan.
  2. Web Site: exchanging experiences, reflections, information.

 

METHODS

 

1.   AS REGARDS THE CONTEXT

  • Collecting documents and data on health/ mental disease in each capital city.
  • Presenting national social legislation about exclusion.
  • Presenting mental health legislation.

2.   AS REGARDS THE NEEDS

  • Individuation and evaluation of the risk-factors and particularly the psychic risk, for orienting the innovative projects with the prevention/protection factors.
  • Individuation and analysis of the health/needs in general and more particularly the mental health need of the disadvantaged persons.

3.   AS REGARDS THE GOOD PRACTICES

  • Adopting a common definition of "good practices"
  • Identifying general criteria for assessing "good practices", specifically the "good practices" in the field of mental health promotion (primary prevention) and in the secondary prevention (follow up of the mental sickness).
  • Presenting a certain number of "presumed" good practices and choosing in each capital city, among the previous ones, 4 or 6 practices specialised in the work with the disadvantages persons.
  • Survey/interviews for collecting quantitative, but mainly qualitative data.

4.   AS REGARDS THE EUROPEAN REPORT

  • Comparative summary of the contexts and social laws on exclusion and laws on mental health.
  • Analysis and needs’ indicators
  • Evaluating the good practices and their method
  • Proposing the pilot project : "Health at the street".
  • Appendix: data, examples, documents & videos.

CALENDAR

Start of project : 1 May 1999
Duration of project : 20 months

1st meeting : 6-8 May 99, Copenhagen
2nd meeting: December 99, Rome
3rd meeting: February 2000, London
4th meeting: May 2000 Berlin
Final Seminar: September 2000, Athens
Final report : December 2000.

 

Supporting by

European Commission, DG V / E / 1 Public Health

 

PROMOTING by

Mental Health Europe MHE (ERC - WFMH)

 

H&D EUROPEAN TEAM

  • VRIJLANDT Aart-Jan, Psychiatrist, President of MHE (NL)
  • Josée VAN REMOORTEL, MHE Executive Director (B)
  • John HENDERSON, MHE Policy Director (UK)
  • Luigi LEONORI, psychologist, MHSE project co-ordinator (I)
  • Thomas CRAIG, psychiatrist, Prof. of St Thomas Hospital, Project Manager (UK)
  • Manuel MUNOZ, psychologist, Prof. Of Compultensis Madrid University Expert (E)

(B)  HORENBEEK Bernard, Psychologist, Director of DIOGENE
       ZOMBEK Serge, Psychiatrist, Responsible of Psycho-Medical Service,
       CHU St Pierre, Brussels

(D)  MENNINGER Oswald, President of Der Paritâtiche
        DI TOLLA Patrizia, Psychologist, Berlin

(DK    BRANDT Preben, Psychiatrist, Director of  "projekt UDENFOR",
        Copenhagen
        WINTHER Mogens, scientific worker and co-ordinator of international
        work, UDENFOR, Copenhagen

(E)    HERNANDEZ Mariano, Psychiatrist, President of A.E.N.,
        BRAVO MariFe, Psychiatrist, Local Co- ordinator,Madrid

(F)    LACROIX André, Director of EMMAUS, Paris
        SIMMONET Jacques, Psychiatrist, CHS St Anne, Paris

(FIN) LAHTI Pirkko Director of the Finnish Association of Mental Health,
        Helsinki
         LINDHOLM Eeva-Liisa, social worker, Salo crises

(GR)  SAKELLAROPOULOS Panagiotis, Chairman of the Board SS P & MH,
        Athens.
        FRANGOULI Athena, Speech Therapist, SSP & MH, Co-ordinator Athens

(I)    MANNU José, Psychiatrist, Vice-President of SMES-IT,
        REALACCI Paolo, Psychiatrist, ASL RMA, Rome

(P)    SILVA Fernando, Psychologist, President A.R.I.A, Lisbon
        BENTO Antonio, psychiatrist, Lisbon

(UK)  SHEPARD Ceri, Director of Homeless Network

        TIMMS Philip, Senior Lecturer, Guy's, King's &
        St Thomas' School of Medicine, London

 

For further information, please, contact

Luigi Leonori
Leader of MHSE Project
Place Albert Leemans 3 / B-1050 BRUSSELS

Phone +32.2.5344244
Phone & fax 0032.2.5385887

E-mail: smeseu@smes-europa.org

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