The overall aim of the project was to reduce social exclusion in people with serious mental illness through lifelong learning. To improve the way in which service users could experience greater participation and inclusion either in the delivery of services or in education and training delivery in meaningful ways which was intended to include greater social inclusion, and paid employment, however locally defined.

EMILIA was a Framework 6 European Union project, funded at €3.4 million over a four and a half year period, in the thematic area of Lifelong Learning. It was the only European project funded in this area and therefore had to demonstrate that it addressed the Lifelong Learning agenda in a through and comprehensive manner. Framework 6 research projects are designed to be large and ambitious, so as to develop a pan-European critical mass of research and development expertise, in a specific area (in this case mental health). Framework 6 integrated projects are required to contain significant elements of research and training and to demonstrate the efficacy of the innovation they are proposing. One of the major innovations of the EMILIA project was that it was trying to use a lifelong learning process to facilitate the social inclusion of mental health service users. In doing this it was also attempting to integrate European policy in four areas: Lifelong learning, social inclusion, employment and information technology.

For more detailed information click on the links below: