Conference Summary

What are the latest trends in promoting access to lifelong learning and employment for persons living with a mental health problem? How can better access to training contribute to their empowerment? Where do we stand today in the international debate between the defenders of the traditional « train & place » method and those in favour of the alternative « place & train » (IPS) approach?

On 11 and 12 February 2010, over a dozen of the world's top experts met in Paris to engage in an exchange on a series of new concepts that are leading to a change of paradigm in the psychosocial rehabilitation sector. A new approach to social integration and inclusion, focused on the person living with a mental health problem, will be showcased. The themes of recovery, empowerment, self-care, peer helpers and health professionals with mental health problems themselves are being
explored as they are developing in France, throughout Europe and across the world.

The Conference also presented the initial results of the Emilia Research Action project involving 16 partner sites in 12 European countries, including France, between 2005 and 2010. A lifelong learning programme containing eleven different training modules for the purpose of improving users' knowledge of their own
mental health disorders and boosting their self-confidence and self-esteem was designed with the active participation of service users themselves. The conclusions included: stronger partnerships between players in the health and labour spheres, getting employers on board, new strategies for joint training of professionals and users on how to live with a mental health problem (symptoms, treatments, etc.) and lifelong learning programmes designed and run by service users for service users.

Over 200 delegates attended the 2 day conference from as far a field as New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong. They heard 15 plenary speakersfrom several different countries and choose amongst 35 presentations in 10 parallel sessions.

You can view these presentations by clicking on the relevant plenary or parallel session on the navigation bar at the top.

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Prof. Peter Ryan Coordinator of the EMILIA Project Middlesex University London, UK		Ian Dawson Chair of the Scientific Committee Salten Psychiatric Centre Nordland Hospital Bodø, Norway		Tim Greacen Chair of the organising committee Masion Blance Paris, France