Empowerment Seminar Mental Health Europe CHIME July 24

Empowerment Seminar Mental Health Europe. CHIME July, 24. Ireland Meaningful Involvement of Peer Workers in Mental Health Trainings Guadalupe Morales Cano ENUSP

Suffragettes fighting for the right to vote USA 1920

Civil Rights USA 1962

People with AIDS against stigma NY July 1983

The end of Apartheid 1994

Empowerment: "bottom-up" The feminist movement, the fight for Civil Rights, that of homosexuals and that of those affected by AIDS, the end of Apartheid; the vindication of their rights and their fight against discrimination were all built bottom up.

Purpose of Convention (Article 1) “To promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. ”

A Paradigm Shift n Persons with disabilities are not viewed as: n "objects" of charity, medical treatment and social protection; n rather as "subjects" with rights; n Legally binding

CRPD Committee Review of EU Implementation Sept. 7, 2015 Recommendations 9. “The Committee recommends the European Union … to ensure … to actively involve representative organisations of persons disabilities. " with (ENUSP influence was definitive)

The Four Corners of Praxis

Empowerment: different levels or dimensions 1 - Individual or personal. The development of personal control and competence to act, seek social support and improve interpersonal, social and political skills (Zimmerman, 1990) 2 - Influence on health services: collaboration between users and health personnel. Changing the doctor-patient relationship: from a paternalistic attitude to shared treatment (WHO). 3 - Social: a process of social action that promotes the participation of people, organizations and communities with a view to achieving the control of individuals and communities, the quality improvement of community life and social justice (Wallerstein, 1992).

peers 2 peers Training & Research Meaningful Involvement of Peers in Mental Health Trainings Education: a key tool for recovery and fight against stigma, discrimination (Spain, since 2009) The project's objective: • develop a teaching programme, with/by users, • targeted to users, • CRPD principles, • characteristics of the empowerment & recovery process, • to promote a strong users movement to have strong voice at a political level.

EU COMPASS Best practices

Courses Emergencies MH – SUMMA 112

World Congress WPA. Berlin 2017

Large scale implementation of community based mental health care for people with severe and enduring mental ill health in Europe EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Fundación Mundo Bipolar and the RECOVER-E project § Fundación Mundo Bipolar’s aim: Meaningful involvement of organizations of persons with psychosocial disabilities § RECOVER-E: Unique example of a service user led organization is partner and work package leader in a Research Horizon 2020 project. § Consortium: 16 partners, 11 countries § We contribute expertise from peer workers and lived experience to all dimensions of the project

Trainings We trained 5 multidisciplinary community mental health teams (CMHTs) in 5 cities in 5 countries CMHT Psychiatrists Psychologists Nurses Social Workers Service Users (Peer workers)

I provided training on: § Human Rights: First! UN Convention. Stigma, Discrimination. Video: From Ill person to Citizen § Principles of Empowerment and Recovery § Peer’s skills and roles § Crisis in Mental Health § Separate space for peers and myself

Training in Romania

Training in Croatia and Montenegro

Training in Bulgaria peers 2 peers

Training in North Macedonia peers 2 peers

• • Benefits and motivation to work as a peer worker Reduction of stigma and discrimination: Members have long lived with stigma due their health problems and suffered intolerance, discrimination and humiliation as a result of it. Having a meaningful way to contribute and receive compensation: Being employed as a peer worker is generally seen as a positive and safe way to re-enter the job market and thus resume a key social role (Mowbray et al. , 1998).

15 Roles of peer worker • Understanding of the frustrations and stigma (discrimination) experienced with the mental health system services, family and society in general. • To reframe recovery as making sense of what has happened and moving on, rather than identifying and eradicating symptoms and dysfunction. (Bradstreet, 2006; Adams & Leitner, 2008).

Barriers/Challenges to Implementation in RECOVER-E § Lack of role clarity, of job structure and insufficient workplace strategies § Need of formal training/(accreditation? ) § The advantages of PW may not emerge when PWs are engaged in subordinate roles or take on roles preshaped in the conventional care system of prejudice among colleagues

FINAL PRESENTACIÓN A

Thank you for your attention! “Nothing about us without us” mundobipolar. org mailto: gm@mundobipolar. org