EC project on people with psychosocial disabilities in Ghana, Lebanon & Armenia
Empowering people with psychosocial disabilities to fight for their rights: Implementing the UN CRPD and QualityRights principles in Ghana, Lebanon & Armenia
This EC funded project aims to promote and support the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities living in Ghana, Lebanon, and Armenia. Specific objectives of the project are:
- To empower people with psychosocial disabilities to have access to and participate in decisions that affect their lives;
- To create a mechanism for the collection of data on the respect of people with psychosocial disabilities rights over time;
- To create a system for the continuous development of improvement plans in mental health services;
- To strengthen the capacities of people with psychosocial disabilities organizations and human rights civil society organizations, and foster their partnership both at local and international level.
Partners
The project is led by the University of Cagliari, in Italy, and national local partners include:
- Ghana: Mental Health Authority of the Ministry of Health, the Mental Health Society of Ghana, and MindFreedom Ghana
- Lebanon: National Mental Health Programme – Ministry of Public Health, ABAAD and IDRAAC;
- Armenia: Ambra Mental Well-being and the Armenian Psychiatric Association.
The project is also supported by WHO Headquarters and the Regional Office for Europe as well as the the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human rights.
Implementation
Year 1 activities.
Local assessment teams were trained on human rights evaluation methods using the WHO QualityRights assessment toolkit.
A train the trainers workshop was held to build capacity of future trainers on Mental Health, Disability, Human Rights, and Recovery using the QualityRights face to face training materials.
In addition, a exercise is underway in each participating country to map all organizations of persons with psychosocial disabilities organizations as well as human rights organizations that are working at local and national levels are being mapped.
Furthermore, baseline data on the respect of the rights of people with psychosocial disabilities are being collected in selected mental health services in the project countries.
Year 2 activities.
WHO QualityRights trainings on Mental Health, Disability Human Rights, and Recovery will be organized in each country for people with psychosocial disabilities, their family members, health professionals, lawyers, government officers, religious leaders, and other relevant stakeholders.
Based on the WHO QualityRights assessment, improvement plans, using the WHO QualityRights module on transforming services and promoting human rights, will be developed and implemented in each mental health service evaluated.
The cooperation between people with psychosocial disabilities organizations and human rights civil society organizations operating in different countries will be promoted through the organization of international meetings.
Year 3 activities.
Data on the respect of the rights of people with psychosocial disabilities will be collected to evaluate the success of the action. The information collected will be used to develop policy proposals to be presented to local authorities and governments.
Achievements to date
- Project launch in Cagliari, March 2019
- QualityRights training of trainers in Cagliari, September 2019
Links & social media
Twitter: https://twitter.com/QRagile
Instagram: https://instagram.com/qualityrights_AGILe
To find out more about the activities being implemented in the different countries, click on the following links:
