QualityRights Training: Civil society organizations to promote human rights in mental health and other related areas

The World Health Organization's (WHO) QualityRights initiative aims to improve the quality of care and support provided in social and mental health services, and to promote the human rights of people with psychosocial, intellectual or cognitive disabilities worldwide.

The training and guidance modules of the QualityRights initiative aim to increase knowledge, skills and understanding among key stakeholders on how to promote the rights of people with psychosocial, intellectual or cognitive disabilities, as well as improve the quality of services and support provided in the field of mental health and other related areas, in line with international human rights standards and, in particular, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the recovery approach.

The aim of this orientation module is to help people with psychosocial, intellectual, or cognitive disabilities, as well as advocates, to set up and run a civil society organization to address the issues and needs they have identified as important. Depending on their purpose, civil society organizations may be composed solely of people with psychosocial, intellectual, or cognitive disabilities, or of a diverse range of stakeholders.

This guidance module contains information and suggestions for structuring a civil society organization, designing its programmatic approach and day-to-day operations, and monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on its progress.