Below are extracts from a new free-access article in The Lancet Psychiatry:
A movement to profoundly transform the way mental health care is delivered and to change attitudes towards people with psychosocial, intellectual, and cognitive disabilities is gaining momentum globally.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which came into effect in 2008, clearly shows that changing attitudes towards — and practices — in mental health care is not only a necessity, but also an obligation under international human rights law…

Through [The QualityRights initiative] WHO is working to improve the quality of care provided by mental health services and promote the human rights of people with psychosocial, intellectual, and cognitive disabilities…

One of the most recent developments of the QualityRights initiative has been the publication of a set of 15 training and guidance modules. These modules help to build capacity among multiple stakeholders to change attitudes and practices in services and the community, and to create new services—including peer support—and strengthen civil society and advocacy efforts. These training modules have been developed in collaboration with more than 100 national and international actors including: disabled people’s organisations; non-governmental organisations; people with lived experience; family, care partners, and professionals working in mental health or related areas; human rights activists; lawyers; and others.

To support the transformation of mental health services, WHO QualityRights is currently developing a best practice guide. This guide will identify, describe and provide evaluation data for good, promising, and emerging community-based mental health and related support and services that are responsive to people’s needs, promote recovery, and are in line with international human rights standards…

CITATION: WHO QualityRights: transforming mental health services
Michelle Funk, Natalie Drew
Lancet Psychiatry, Volume 4, No. 11, p826–827, November 2017
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30271-7
http://thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(17)30271-7/fulltext?dgcid=etoc-edschoice_email_Nov
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Best wishes, Neil

Let’s build a future where people are no longer dying for lack of healthcare information – Join HIFA: www.hifa.org

Dear HIFA group

I would just like to share with you the September 2017 issue of the Movement for Global Mental Health (MGMH) newsletter: http://sh1.sendinblue.com/nbc011z94c.html?t=1507120945. The October 2017 issue will be sent out by 1 November 2017. Should you wish to subscribe to the newsletter, please click on this link and enter your email address: https://my.sendinblue.com/users/subscribe/js_id/2oshf/id/1/email/demo@email.com

The Movement for Global Mental Health (www.globalmentalhealth.org) and the SA Federation for Mental Health (www.safmh.org) will be hosting the 5th Global Mental Health Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa from 8-9 February 2018. There are still spaces available and you can register now: http://www.globalmentalhealth.org/5th-global-mental-health-summit-2018-1

The panels of the Summit will focus on these themes:
·         Persons with Lived Experience – the key partners in mental health and sustainable development
·         Value of research to advance the social movement – the role of persons with lived experience in research
·         Overcoming poverty through quality education and decent work and economic growth
·         Changing the culture around mental health, mental disorders and emotional wellbeing
·         Getting “creative and innovative” to achieve recovery and mental wellbeing
·         Infants, toddlers and young children – affording them mental health and wellbeing
·         Empowering the youth to play a role in achieving the SDGs
·         Not forgetting the vulnerable groups
·         Deinstitutionalisation and community integration – a human right
·         Civil society’s role in achieving the SDGs
·         Social movements giving a voice to persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities.

The information brochure and registration form is available at: http://www.globalmentalhealth.org/sites/default/files/5th%20Global%20Mental%20Health%20Summit%20INFO_1.pdf

Thank you
Kind regards,
Charlene Sunkel

Programme Manager: Advocacy & Development
SA Federation for Mental Health
T: +27 (0)11 781 1852
F: +27 (0) 86 558 6909
charlene@safmh.org
www.safmh.org
000-238 NPO / PBO 18/11/13/3099
Principal Coordinator: Movement for Global Mental Health