Prospect, a mental health empowerment program
The Prospect of Empowerment in Mental Health program is a European project created by the European Federation of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI) , coordinated in Spain by the Confederación Salud Mental España and in Catalonia by the Federació Salud Mental Catalunya . Since 2015, 2,232 people have participated in this training, which is growing year after year.
The main objective of this training program is for people with a mental health problem and their families to take charge of their recovery and become protagonists of this process. It also aims to promote their participation in the search for their own quality of life and as full citizens. The training consists of three specific modules, aimed at first persons, family members and mental health professionals respectively, and a common module in which aspects related to communication between them are worked on.
The recovery model from the perspective of its protagonists
Since 2020, and due to the security measures implemented in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic, the program has a new online version that allows it to reach a larger population, when they have difficulties in moving, because they live in more isolated areas, due to the symptoms of the mental health problem they have or for other circumstances. The face-to-face version has not been eliminated, therefore, which offers very positive aspects for other people who do not have optimal digital literacy, for example.
Affected people, families and health professionals
The training is carried out by volunteers with the same profile as the participants (first person, family members or professionals), called facilitators , who have previously received training to carry out this task, and who receive constant support. Maria, one of the family facilitators , explains why she decided to train: "I saw the strength that facilitators transmit to accompany the first people and I wanted to be like them, because family members create vices, such as overprotection or not setting specific limits. On the other hand, here we also work on self-care, and, if we are not well, how can we help."
It is an experience that helps you face the situation, understand and better manage stigma, promote autonomy, facilitate social interactions and feel respected and on equal terms.
The common module involves the first persons, families and mental health professionals. Several activities are carried out in this space. In one of them, the first persons and families read letters that they have written, usually beautiful and demanding, which in many cases explain the experience they have had during the training, which is usually very enriching. Many of the relatives comment that they are used to seeing the people they love in an irregular recovery process and that the Prospect program allows them to see another type of process. This module is a space for meeting and exchange between all the participants, without differentiating who is who, where we are all equal, that is, a model of the society we want.
Finally, the professionals module promotes reflection on the relationship between mental health problems and citizenship, and provides a space to make proposals on improving professional care. Rosario, one of the participants, claims that “it should be mandatory for all professionals in the field of mental health to do this training once a year. It is very rewarding.”
Prospect training is undoubtedly an experience that helps you face the situation in relation to mental health, with the support of other people and resources, to better understand and manage stigma, to promote autonomy, to facilitate social interactions and to feel respected and on an equal footing. "Overall, it is a course with a lot of value , where you feel understood, and where no one judges you, where no one is scandalized by the way in which each person approaches the situations they have experienced. You leave the course with a feeling of not being alone on this journey, and, even if it is from afar, you feel close to everyone," reflects Dolors, after having participated in one of the editions.
Photo: Prospect Tarragona Edition, 2023. (Courtesy of the Catalonia Mental Health Federation).
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