PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS*:
- Introduction and Overview of Croatian Mental Health Context
- EU-PROMENS Quality Criteria
- Early Intervention for First Episode Psychosis
- Professional Rehabilitation for People with Disabilities
- Mental Health Care by General Practitioners
- Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities
- NGO Peer Network and Anti-Stigma Campaign
- Transition from Institutional to Community-Based Services
- Youth (18+) and Mental Health Programmes
- Work Integration for Disadvantaged Groups
- Addiction Recovery Programmes
- Community Mental Health Teams
- Mobile Multidisciplinary Teams for Severe Mental Health Disorders
- Advocacy for Patients' Rights and Inclusive Employment
- Psychosocial Rehabilitation for Severe Mental Health Issues
- Psychosocial Support for Families
- Addiction Prevention in Schools
- Group Reflections and Discussions
- Conclusive Hybrid Workshop
📚 Recommended Reading List:
please click to collapse
This reading list contains links to EU-Commission documents on the “Comprehensive approach to mental health”, an overarching European initiative which is structured around three core principles: prevention, access to quality and affordable care, and reintegration into society after recovery. The EU-PROMENS, capacity building in mental health project, represents one of the 20 flagships and is implemented through a tripartite consortium from GFA, TRIMBOS and MHE.
Please find in the following links to European country profiles, guidelines from the World Health Organization, especially focused on Community Mental Health services, for your convenience and inspiration. Participating in the EU-PROMENS Exchange Programme, you will gain an overview of selected community mental health services guided by one of EU-PROMENS' six partner institutions in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and the Netherlands. Programmes for these exchanges were carefully developed in 2024 by the EU-PROMENS multidisciplinary team together with six experienced institutions (hubs); you can find links to all these institutions below.
Sustainability: To make this exchange programme a sustainable endeavour, we invite all participants to engage in a dedicated community of practice on the European platform for adult learning - EPALE. Once registered on this free platform, you have access to a variety of different learning offers from various other projects from all over Europe too.
Here is the reading list; click on the title to collapse:
EU - Commission website: Comprehensive approach to mental health
A comprehensive approach to mental health - European Commission (europa.eu)
EU - Commission best practices portal
European member states health systems country data profiles - including mental health (2023)
Country profiles focused on mental health reform via European Joint Action Ja-IMPLEMENTAL including best practices on suicide prevention and mental health country reform status
WHO Resolutions on mental health
EU-PROMENS Community of Practice through the EPALE platform
OECD 2021 Benchmark for Mental Health Systems
2023 Mapping of over 800 services and initiatives from Culture for Health initiative - all over Europe
WHO website with publications and guidelines on Community mental health services available in many languages
Nature paper on Grand challenges in Global Mental health 2011
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the European Commission website (CRPD ratified by EU in 2010)
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - European Commission
Mental Health Europe Glossary
WHO-International classification of diseases chapter V
Best practices portal of the European Union Drugs Agency
European Alliance against Depression
European health technology Assessment
EU-PROMENS HUB Partner in Spain
Who we are | The Foundation | Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (sjdrecerca.org)
EU-PROMENS HUB Partner in Austria
EU-PROMENS HUB Partner in Czech Republic National Institute of Mental Health
EU-PROMENS HUB Partner in Croatia School of Medicine
Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine – School of Medicine (unizg.hr)
EU-PROMENS HUB Partner in Finland
EU-PROMENS HUB Partner in Netherlands
* Minor changes might appear in the programme during your visit; you will receive all the information about the programme and will be updated in a timely manner.
- Group 1: 06.10.2025 - 17.10.2025
- Group 2: 27.10.2025 - 07.11.2025
- Group 3: 17.11.2025 - 28.11.2025
Arrival of participants to Zagreb, Croatia; Accommodation in the Hotel
Context Presentation
- Welcome, round of introductions and housekeeping
- Introduction of the Croatian Context
- EU-PROMENS Quality Criteria
- Co-creation conclusive workshop preparation
Programme presentation
- Presenting each day of the programme
- Selection of small groups
- Collecting feedback and expectations from participants
- Professional rehabilitation of people with disabilities in Croatia
- Mental Health care provided by GPs
- UNUO presentation - create employment opportunities for people with disability
- NGO peer network and anti-stigma campaign
Transformation Pathway: From Institution to Community-Based Services
Visit the Stančić Centre, which serves over 600 children with disabilities and adults with cognitive impairments. Learn about its transition from an institutional model to a community-based service provider, focusing on assisted living that empowers individuals with mental health challenges to live more independently.
- Mental Health in Elementary Schools
- Work integration of people from disadvantaged groups in the real market environment
- Interactive Reflections
- Instructions about small group observations and free time in Čakovec
Early Intervention for Persons with the First Episode of Psychosis
Discover the Early Interventions with a multidisciplinary team of specialists.
Visit Art, Sport Centres, Nursing areas and other facilities.
Discover recovery strategies for residential and day care treatment of alcohol addiction. Includes a visit to the addiction ward at Sv. Ivan Psychiatric Hospital.
Small Groups Activities and Observations:
G1: Community mental health teams: role of social and peer-support workers
G2: Community mental health teams: focus of youth
G3: Professional rehabilitation of people with disability in Croatia
G4: Peer support mobile teams
Small Groups Activities and Observations:
G5: Community mental health teams: role of social and peer-support workers
G6: Community mental health teams: focus on youth
G7: Socio-emotional empowerment of youth
G8: Professional rehabilitation of people with disability in Croatia
Preventive programmes in schools; prevention of addiction in schools.
Final reflection sessions. Reporters' lessons learned and summaries.
Certification.
Participants` Departure