Mental Disability Advocacy Program


	Areas

Social Integration

Closed Institutions

Legal assistance

Tolerance and anti-discrimination

Mental Disability Advocacy Program
Mental Disability Advocacy Program - Latvia

Mental Disability Advocacy Program

The advocacy for mentally disabled rights has been one of the main fields of LCHR work since 1995. LCHR is a member of international advocacy organization GAMIAN-Europe (Global Advocacy for Mental Illness Networks) since 2001. LCHR has joined the European Coalition for Community Living (ECCL) since September 2006. ECCL is a Europe-wide initiative working towards the social inclusion of people with disabilities by promoting the provision of comprehensive, quality community-based services as an alternative to institunalization.

Currently in this field LCHR works in several directions:

Research. In 2003 – 2004 LCHR carries out the research Rights of people with intellectual disabilities: access to education and employment in Latvia funded by OSI EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program.
Needs Assessment for the Mental Disability Advocacy Program was carried out in 2000.
Monitoring of mental health care institutions (mental hospitals and social care homes). In 2003 LCHR carried out monitoring in social care homes for mentally disabled. LCHR continued monitoring visits to mental hospitals and social care homes from 2003 - 2006 within framework of EC funded project.
Soros Foundation - Latvia / LCHR Mental Disability Advocacy Program - Latvia. The aims of the program are to promote deinstitutionalization and to support the development of community based services for mentally disabled and to develop advocacy for mentally disabled. For further information look in program description.
Organizing of training seminars and conferences.
Raising public awareness.

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