Since 2001 the Latvian Centre for Human Rights (LCHR) is implementing the Mental Disabilities Advocacy program - Latvia (MDAP), delegated to LCHR by the Soros Foundation-Latvia. The program is funded by the Soros Foundation-Latvia and OSI Mental Health Initiative. The program is focusing on alternatives to institutionalization and the mechanisms for protecting patients’ rights aiming to change health care policy by moving the system for 100% reliance on institutionalization to a system that provides varied alternatives to institutionalization. The program has supported a number of pilot projects geared to creating positive examples that would support such a policy shift (e.g. supported employment program, day care services, support and self-help groups, life skills programs etc.). The program also promotes advocacy of the rights of mentally disabled, through training seminars for lawyers, NGOs and mental health care professionals on human rights, and providing the government comments on new draft legislation on mental health care. The program has two main units: 1. Deinstitutionalization and the development of community based services as the standard for mental health care in Latvia 2. Provision of patients’ legal rights’ protection and advocacy.
Program Goals - The improvement of care of people with intellectual disability and people with mental illness and their integration into society;
- Deinstitutionalization, the prevention of institutionalization and support for the establishment of community based services;
- Strengthening the advocacy of the rights people with intellectual disability and people with mental illness, in a general context of human rights;
- Changing public attitudes and promoting public awareness
Supported projects:  Grants 2001 (PDF, 82.71 KB)
Grants 2002 (PDF, 81.20 KB) Grants 2003 (PDF, 81.58 KB) Grants 2004 (PDF, 75.75 KB) Grants 2005 (PDF, 54.88 KB) Grants 2006 (PDF, 75.25 KB) | 
