Every citizen has the right to live with the same opportunities and each country is improving special laws and rules to support this issue. People with mental health problems (PMHP) are more than others living with difficulty their conditions everywhere in Europe though many steps forward were made by each nation. The development of an active policies to promote offer of services to improve social inclusion of people with chronic (physics or mental) illnesses or with disabilities started since the 2000 and records an increasing attention from EU. Although European nations adopt measures directed to encourage or promote labor market inclusion of PMHP, the way they manage the problem is different. To handle this issue in more comprehensive approach, partners decided to come together for this project: İstanbul Health Directorate (Turkey) as public body, Consorzio SGS (Italy) as consortium of public-private sector, University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce (Croatia) as public university hospital, SENT – Slovenian Association of Mental Health (Slovenia) as nonprofit NGO and EPIONI – Greek Carers Network as NGO. Objectives of Project are (1) improving knowledge and abilities of professionals in social inclusion policies through effective models of disability management focused on real PMHP's needs; (2) discovering, sharing and comparing methods, techniques and pedagogical tools used to accompany the learning of PMHP to empower communities in inclusion policies. Expected Impacts of Project are (1) spreading effective model of disability management among professionals involved in public and private structures, in social and health field, working with PMHP and their families; (2) development of a new field of competence of professionals of the aid and care, likely to improve their working conditions; (3) positive evolution of the satisfaction scores of vocational training trainees and partners; and (4) positive experience in involving people with special needs during the life of the project as a model of effective inclusion Project is innovative through the composition of the partnership. It includes institutions of various types and structures, but all interested in same questions, i.e. how to improve the quality of life of PMHP, how to meet educational needs of professionals and volunteers for social inclusion of PMHP, how to manage inclusion process of PMHP to community, how to support families and other carers of PMHP. Project introduces also second innovative approach to the topic which focus on integration between health and social professionals adopting a shared model of intervention, an interdisciplinary positive approach and an unique vocabulary. There will be 3 transnational meetings and 3 training programs. The main aim of trainings is to facilitate an environment for employees of vocational education, public health, medicine and social services for exchanging experiences and ideas. The extend of trainings are specified according to goal-oriented needs of participants like developments of new competencies, of new positive approach to inclusion studies, of interdisciplinary perception of mental health, of paradigm of problems PMHP facing and of any skills be useful for their institutional capacity. These trainings are (1) Scientific Approach to Stigmatization and Discrimination towards PMHP and Social Inclusion; (2) The Role of Volunteers and Caregivers in Social Inclusion of PMHP: and (3) Social Programs Designed for PMHP. Survey will be conducted to understand reel needs of PMHP, relatives, friends and families of PMHP, volunteers, caregivers, health professionals and social service providers with regard to social inclusion of PMHP. Its focus will be about critical factors and potential developments for issues of PHMP and special focus will be on how to support patients and families and how to empower companies’ abilities in welcoming PMHP in their working processes and best practices about case management through the creation of an integrated system between social and health organizations. All activities are designed to extend and develop vocational competencies of vocational educators, health professionals and social program developers. Partners are working on field of vocational education and participants will get new competencies of designing social inclusion programs for specific groups, new proficiency in developing holistic approaches in social inclusion in which which health aspects meet educational, social and cultural aspects and improved expertise in generating specific training programs. Linking Partners Project is designed to create an opportunity to exchange good practices and experiences, which are complementary to each other, of education, social services and health professionals working in various fields. It is also claimed that these new skills and experiences on innovative practices could open new recruitment possibilities to participants.
İstanbul Health Directorate (Turkey) as a public body, Consorzio SGS (Italy) as a consortium of the public-private sector, University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce (Croatia) as a public university hospital, SENT – Slovenian Association of Mental Health (Slovenia) as a nonprofit NGO and EPIONI – Greek Carers Network as NGO came together to adopt good practices and experiences they observed at 3 LTT and 3 TNM activities they did during the project. During LTT activities professionals from various organizations made presentations and gave trainings regarding their policies to promote services to improve social inclusion to improve the knowledge and abilities of professionals in social inclusion policies through effective models of disability management focused on real PMHP's needs. Various partner organizations and their sub-companies which involve individuals with special needs were visited to experience different practices. All partners were involved in some activities at these sub-companies and experienced the practices implemented there. Both with the trainings given at the LTT's and the support of the job-shadowing alike exercises made with the PMHP's themselves made a huge contribution to the project and her aims. All participant partners learned different and important practices and had a chance to exercise them. These exercises with PMHP's themselves gave a huge vision and understanding to the participants that will affect their practices, understanding and management of caring and approach to the PMHP's at the areas of partners social and health systems. Under this valuable project, there is even an article titled "Beliefs of Health Workers in İstanbul Towards Individuals With Mental Health Problems" written by Professionals who are in our project team from İstanbul Provincial Directory of Health, passed editorial evaluation and waiting for be published by the reviewer. And there is a website to which all exercises and practices from all LTT's added to inform professionals and organisations from all around the world. https://linkingpartners.saglikarge.istanbul/ Our scientific study, including the introduction of our project, was presented as an oral presentation at the 5th Congress (5th International 23. National Congress on Public Health) between December 13 - 18 2021.