About us
Who we are:
Members of our society can be people with mental illnesses, their family members, specialists, who work or are willing to work with the people with mental illnesses and anyone, who considers our aims and objectives acceptable.
Our goal's are:
- To represent people with illnesses and strive for their life of full value in the society;
- to protect their rights and human dignity, fight against their discrimination;
- to try to improve and expand the system of institutions of medical service, rehabilitation and care for the people with mental illnesses;
- to try to improve living conditions and the system of social support for the families taking care of people with mental illnesses;
- to establish employment institutions for people with mental illnesses in the community;
- to establish job places for the people with mental illnesses.
What we do:
Today in 48 municipalities 55 branches (counting over 2300 members with more then 1600 mentally disabled people among them) of our NGO are functioning.
We organized seminars and trainings with the Polish Mental Health Coalition. In 1999 in the regions we provided eight round table meetings MENTAL HEALTH - OUR OBJECTIVE on coordination between municipalities, health institutions and NGO, on the realization of the law of social care in the community and also popularized the experience of mental health centers.
In 1999 – 2004 together with Psychiatry clinic of Vilnius University, State Mental Health Center and the Day center ,,Šviesa” (,,Light”) we provided in Vilnius 12 Vilnius Health seminars for the specialists in mental health area. In the Center of professional improvement of Vilnius University supported by the PHARE program 25 social workers from whole Lithuania made 60 hours courses on psychiatry.In 2001 in Cooperation with Psychiatry clinic of Vilnius University 50 social and care workers made 40 hours courses. The aim of this learning was to extend the interdepartment health protection. In cooperation with the State Mental Health Center the social services in mental health were extended.On means of our welfare society employment rooms in 58 mental health centers were equipped. In cooperation with the Vilnius Social care center there was founded the social and psychological help service which provide daily activities for disabled people in 6 city districts.
Each summerpsychosocial - rehabilitation camps are organized for mentally disabled people by our NGO.
In the end of 2003 our welfare society was involved into the Council for Affairs of Disabled under the Government of Lithuanian Republic.
According to the State Mental Health Center's data there were 21123 mentally disabled people in Lithuania in 2004.