Turkey

QualityRights – Turkey

Needs Assessment based on QualityRights in Selected Care Institutions

Turkey is currently undertaking needs assessments of the quality of institutional care services for people with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities within the scope of an EU and WHO co-funded Project entitled “Social Inclusion of Persons with Mental Disabilities”. The aim of this project is to provide effective, accessible and efficient community based support services for persons with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities to promote social inclusion. 

Needs assessment, using the WHO QualityRights Assessment Toolkit (translated into Turkish, see below) have been undertaken in a total five mental health hospitals and 13 care institutions providing services for the persons with psychosocial disabilities, covering the full range of institutional care overseen by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services in Turkey, including public and private services as well as services for adults and for children.  Assessments were completed in July 2019.

The institutional needs assessment report was presented at the Annual Conference from 9-10th December 2019 and shared with relevant stakeholders after approval by Ministry of Health (MoH) and Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services (MoFLSS). 

Service improvement Plans

After sharing the final report of the Institutional Needs Assessment, it was decided that the results would be used to help inform the local service improvement plans for the participating institutions, revision of care standards and guidelines and project activities related to policy- planning, implementation, and regulation. WHO QualityRights guidance and training tools including the training module on Transforming services and promoting human rights would be used for this purpose.

Based on decisions of  meetings with MoH and MoFLSS (14th January 2020 and 19th February 2020), Elazığ Mental Health Hospital, and Özel İnsan Bakım Merkezi (Private Institutional Care Centre in Bursa) were selected for developing and implementing improvement plans.

A   meeting was held on 9th March 2020 to discuss the draft improvement plan of Elazığ Mental Health Hospital with Deputy General Directorate of General Health Services and the Deputy General Directorate of Public Health Hospitals and Mental Health Departments. The finalization and implementation of the improvement plan will be re-evaluated according to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Turkey QualityRights e-training (launched 9 December 2019)

The Turkish QualityRights e-training on Mental Health, Disability, Human Rights and recovery was officially launched nationwide at a high profile conference on 9 December 2019, attended by the Deputy Minister of Health as well as key Ministry leaders and national champions. The conference brought together 245 participants,

with participation from the Deputy Minister of Health  & General Directors of other Ministries, Staff from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services, National Human Rights and Equality Institutions, The Human Rights Commission of the Turkish Assembly, NGOs, people with lived experience and families. 50 computers were set up for the use of participants to sign-up for the QR e-training platform.

A specific strategy has been developed, outlining the key social media platforms which will be used in the country rollout of the e-training: Social media strategy for Turkish Language QualityRights e-training (in English)

Promoting the QR e-training platform among Health and Social Care Staff

Promoting the QR e-Training Platform to the Universities and NGOs

  • February – March 2020 a concept note about the QR e-training platform was shared with Boğaziçi University, Hacettepe University, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Ankara University, Sağlık Bilimleri University, Başkent University, and Association of Social Rights and Research.  Academicians sent this e-mail to their students and informed them how can they register to the platform.

QualityRights e-training stats – Turkey:

As at 14 April 2021:

  • # people registered: 793
  • # people who have started the course: 408
  • # people who have received their WHO certificate: 112

Key events & activities

  • 27-28 November 2019 – A workshop in order to discuss the result of the QualityRights assessments and the development of transformation plans among assessment teams and managers of the facilities. 
  • 9 December 2019 – The Turkish language QualityRights e-training platform launched at an event (see above)
  • 2019/2020 ongoing translation of WHO QualityRights training modules into Turkish
  • 2020 – Training of Trainers workshops, based on the QualityRights modules
  • 23 June 2020: Webinar – Social Policy Forum, Boğaziçi University, : “Why do we need a human rights approach in the field of mental health?” Speakers: Mesut Demirdoğan, President of the Schizophrenia Friends Association, Michelle Funk, Head, Policy, Law and Human Rights Unit, WHO Geneva & Dan Chisholm, Mental Health Program Manager, WHO EURO.  The event was attended by 278 participants. After the webinar, a concept note about QR e-training platform was sent to the participants leading to 64 new registrations onto the e-training.  
  • April 26th 2021 – 5 day training held to end the use of seclusion and restraint in mental health services

QualityRights assessment toolkit in Turkey

Social media

December 2019 – February 2021: The visibility and social media strategy of QualityRights initiative in Turkey started in December 2019 with the creation of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook profiles. Also, to facilitate the access to the website, Turkish translation of QualityRights was adapted as the domain (www.kalitehaklar.com) to bridge the portal and an e-mail account was created () to answer questions and support the users.

To attract different audiences and stakeholders to the e-training platform, the following methods have been implemented:

  • Informative videos and infographic posts on how to use the platform emphasizing the easy use not only through computers, but also tablets and cellphones.
  • Posts and videos that answer frequently asked questions on mental health
  • Posts that celebrate national days, religious holidays, new year, etc.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/kalitehaklar

Twitter: www.twitter.com/kalitehaklar

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kalitehaklar

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClvDdahEUX-tZ7FfHXRRSRw