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Editorial
Dear All,
Thank you all for your many messages over the last few days. We have been immensely touched by your warmth and concern. Everyone at MHE is safe and well. We are shocked and horrified by the attacks, and stand in solidarity with the Brussels community. I don’t know if a city can ever be the same again after such events, but there is a great desire in Brussels for life to return to some kind of normality.
We continue to be advised by the authorities in Belgium on any changes to the security risk, but as things stand, we intend to proceed with the General Assembly. We hope to see many of you there, but we will however understand should any member not wish to travel at this time. We have finalised the draft agenda and will be sending it out along with the formal invitation in the next few days. The main theme of the GA will be: what can MHE do for you- and what can you do for MHE?
This has been a very busy month for MHE so the newsletter is jam-packed and should have something for everyone. I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to meeting many of you at the GA in a few weeks.
Best wishes
Akiko
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Our contribution to the call for submission on art.19 of the UNCRPD
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities published a call for submissions for the Day of General Discussion on the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community, to be held on 19 April 2016 in Geneva. As part of its work on the implementation of the UNCRPD by the EU, MHE is pleased to share with you its own contribution to the call for submissions on Art. 19. Please read our contribution HERE.
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MHE publishes a position paper on the midterm review of the EU disability strategy
MHE has just published a position paper to accompany its response to the survey on the mid-term review of the Disability Strategy. In this paper, MHE notes the strengths and weaknesses of the Disability Strategy as well as the areas in the accompanying list of actions which have seen the most and the least progress. We also call on the EU Commission and the EU as a whole for concrete actions. Please read our latest position paper HERE, or find it in the policy and publication sections of our website. If you have any specific question or remark, please contact MHE policy manager Alva Finn.
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MHE's article on tackling mental health in the workplace
Read our most recent article on tackling mental health in the workplace, where we call for more trainings for managers and employees on how to deal with mental health issues at work as well as prevention and appropriate behaviors. We also cover the notion of parity of esteem and call for the end of the silos' mentality. Find the article HERE.
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MHE's article on ICD10 revision
Our director Akiko Hart is featured in this month's e-update of the Scottish Recovery Network , talking about the ongoing ICD-10 revision. Read the article HERE. A first version of this paper was previously published on Mad in America's blog. If you haven't responded to the online questionnaire yet, please do so HERE as it will close by the end of the week.
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Seminar on community-based support in Poland
On the 14-15th of March, MHE went to Warsaw in Poland to participate in a seminar on the transition to community-based support. As you know, MHE is a member of The European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care (EEG), which supports de-institutionalisation (DI) for all, including older people, children, people with disabilities and people with mental health problems. The seminar in Warsaw was organised by the Polish Ministry of Economic Development in collaboration with the European Commission. The aim was twofold: at a broader level, to encourage the process of DI through the sharing of best practice; and at a more technical level, to support national and regional level authorities with drafting their applications for European structural funds to ensure DI guidelines are respected. Regina Bisikiewicz, from the Polish Institute of Open Dialogue, a member of MHE, presented best practice in DI in mental health. The seminar concluded reminding participants that at the core of community-based services are the people we want to support.
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Work on art.12 of the UNCRPD: we want to hear from you!
In the coming months, MHE's work will focus extensively on article 12 of the UNCRPD. Last week we participated in the Ajupid project roundtable at the European Court of Human Rights for the access to justice of persons with intellectual disabilities. To support our ongoing work, we are collecting best practices from members and would kindly like to invite you to send us examples of good practices of support decisions making in accordance with Article 12. Please contact MHE Policy Assistant Charlotte on this matter.
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[REMINDER] Horizon 2020 call for proposal: Promoting mental health and well-being in the youth
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MHE in Maastricht to attend Presidency event
MHE attended an event organised by the Dutch Presidency in conjunction with the University of Maastricht on youth mental health. The discussions focused predominately on the need for more integrated and tailored services to ensure that youth mental health is catered for in the transition from child to young adult and that young people are listened to within these services. Speakers included Patrick McGorry of Headspace in Australia, WHO Europe and the European Commission. More information can be found on the event's website.
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MHE at the first Annual Convention on inclusive growth
MHE attended the first Annual Convention on Inclusive Growth on 21 March. This new event is intended as a way to improve the constructive dialogue on how to ensure that the all citizens benefit from growth in the EU. Commissioner Marianne Thyssen started the day off along with Jetta Klijnsma Dutch Secretary of State for Social Affairs and Employment. Much of the discussions of the day focused on the newly proposed Social Pillar of Rights and public consultation. Workshops and side-events focused on a range of issues including inclusive labour markets, social investment, integration of refugees and the newly adopted recommendation on long-term unemployment. For more about the ACIG, please see HERE.
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MHE at the European Patient Forum's general assembly
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MHE press release on the Germanwings' tragedy
Following recent news on last year's Germanwings tragedy, we have sent out a statement to the press encouraging European journalists to use caution when covering mental health issues and avoid sensationalising it. Please read it HERE.
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News from EU institutions and other bodies
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EU Commission 2016 work programme for health adopted
The European Commission adopted its 2016 Work Programme for health. The total amount of EU funding available in 2016 covering grants and tenders is nearly €58 million. Call for proposals have recently been published. One of the project will focus on Migrants’ health: Best practices in care provision for vulnerable migrants and refugees. Mental Health Europe will be applying for this project and welcomes members who would be interested in becoming partners. If you are interested, please contact our secretariat. You will also find more information on other funding opportunities HERE.
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Commission publishes Country Reports
The European Commission has published its Country Reports as its annual analysis of the economic and social challenges in the EU Member States. You can go here for a list of links to the Country Reports. The reports are a tool under the streamlined European Semester of economic and social policy coordination to monitor policy reforms including the implementation of social policies in the Europe 2020 Strategy. The reports will serve as the basis for discussion with Member States of their national policy choices ahead of their National Programmes in April, and will lead to the formulation in late spring of the Commission's Country-Specific Recommendations. MHE will analyse the Country-Specific Recommendations when they are published and inform our members about the contents if relevant.
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WHO HBSC Report: Growing up unequal
The most updated version of the WHO Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) was recently published and highlights some interesting facts about young people's mental health and well-being. A special factsheet dedicated to findings on mental well-being of adolescents can also be found HERE.
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