PRESENTATION OF

MAIN ACTIVITIES & SERVICES

The Society of Social Psychiatry and Mental Health
Panayotis Sakellaropoulos

 A non-profit scientific NGO, working under the spirit of Social - Communal Psychiatry

 Founded in 1986 with roots going back to 1964

 Actively promotes Greece’s Psychiatric Reform

 Mainly funded by the Ministry of Health and European Programmes and belongs to

the third sector of the economy (Social Economy)

 Focuses on the prevention of psychic disorders, the primary intervention, the

continuity of care, the social and employment rehabilitation of chronic psychiatric

patients

 Provides services in the following prefectures of Greece: Attica (capital), Fthiotida,

Fokida (Central Greece), Evros and Rodopi (Northern Greece)

 PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMEWORK AND PRINCIPLES
“The Society of Social Psychiatry & Mental health exists in order to offer mental health services to everyone
who needs them. At the same time, it works with the population in order to establish the demand for
help”.

This is achieved in the following ways:

• Respect and emphasis is given to individual rights

• Therapy is offered at the patients’ home among the family through out-of-hospital structures and
services

• We believe that every person in need has equal rights with other citizens:

 The right to live a normal life, within the community

 Τhe right to work

 The right to enjoy social activities

 The right to education and training

 The right to receive personal therapy according to their needs at home or in the local community

• Efforts are focused on the prevention of mental health disorders and early intervention, in close
cooperation with the social group.

• The services are offered to children, adolescents, adults and the elderly with a range of mental health
problems ranging from very simple conditions to acute disorders.

• It hires and trains high caliber mental health professionals

 OUR AIMS

The aims of the S.S.P.&M.H. are:

• The prevention of mental health disorders

• The promotion of the population’s mental health

• The diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders

• The social and employment rehabilitation of people with psychosocial problems

• The promotion of the users’ human rights

• The production of scientific work

• The education and training of mental health professionals and other community

groups.
 MAIN SERVICES

 De- institutionalization. Residential Houses, hostels and Protected Apartments concerning patients

with chronic psychosis

 Provision of Mental Health Services for children, adolescents and adults- Mobile Psychiatric Units

 Crisis Intervention at Home Unit

 Day Centre for the Psychological Support of Patients with Cancer

 Day Centre for the follow-up care of people with psychiatric disorders who live in the community

in Attica and another Day Center in Fokida

 Employment rehabilitation Programmes for people with mental health problems. We support 4

Social Cooperatives of Limited Liability (KoiSPE in Greek)

 Vocational training programs for people with psychosocial problems

 Education Programmes for Mental Health Professionals

 Community Sensitization Activities

 Νetworking. Co-operation with National and European mental health

 The Society of Social Psychiatry
and Mental Health at a glance

34 Mental Health Units 239 Employees 3,334 Mental Health

Service Users

In 2018:

More the 40,500 therapeutic sessions took place

245 Community Sensitisation Activities were undertaken (involving

schools, art, local services)
 EVROS

RODOPI

FTHIOTIDA

FOKIDA

ATTIKI
 Networking and International Collaborations

• A founding and Board Member of the Greek Federation of Mental Health

Organisations, “Argo”
• A founding and Board Member of the European Network of Mental Health
Organisations ASKLEPIOS Foundation.
• A Board member of the European Organisation Mental Health Europe (MHE)
• A founding member of the European Federation – Social Firms Europe CEFEC
whose main aim is the professional rehabilitation of people with disability
and mental health problems.
• Our President Athina Fragkouli is representing CEFEC at the European
Disability Forum (EDF).
• Board member of the Greek Network for Housing Rights
• Board members of the European Network NEFELE, aiming to support active
living for mental health services’ users, through art
Networking, Community Engagement and Human Rights

• For 2018 the Society implemented 144 activities of community sensitization in schools,
37 community awareness raising through art, 54 networking activities and 10
advocacy activities.
• EEA Grants Project “Social Bonds: Empowerment and Networking of Mental Health
Services Providers for the improvement of services in the community”
This project built on the experience gained through the Local Health Care Network
"Akeso", initiated in 2007 by the SSP&MH P. Sakellaropoulos and is a single entry point
which facilitate referrals, based on the strong networking between all health, mental
health and social services of the Prefecture of Fokida.
• Local Team for the Promotion of Mental Health in the municipality of Nea Smyrni and
the Network of Sectors of Mental Health Services in the municipality of K allithea. This
collective way of operating, that was proposed by the SSP&MH, was adopted from
the local administration and they are now part of the official bodies/ units of the two
municipalities. All of the local sectors that provide services directly and indirectly
pertain to mental health and participate in this effort.
Human Rights
• EEA Grants Project “Action Platform for the Rights in Mental Health”
 European Programmes

European Projects EKP&PSY is implementing a series of

European Programmes such as Leonardo da Vinci,
Grundtvig, ERASMUS+, Daphne, EUROPEaid. EEA GRANTS in
order to contribute to the exchange of good practices, the
promotion of research and innovation, as well as
professional training in the mental health sector.
http://ekpse.gr/en/services/programs
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!