Poland Part 3 Page 18 - Mental Health in the workplace

From the bylaws of the Coalition for Mental Health

Chapter 2, Article 6.

The aims of the Coalition are:

* Mental health promotion.

* Providing better opportunities for getting competent assistance in a mental health crisis.

* Taking steps to improve the living conditions of people who have or used to have
mental health problems.

* Organising co-operation between self-help groups, professionals, professional associations, and local authorities.

* Submitting opinions to the authorities on legal regulations, expertise and projects relating to changes in the field of mental health.

* Creating conditions enabling people diagnosed as mentally ill to enjoy their rights as human beings and as citizens.

* Promoting attitudes favourable to the social integration of people who have or used to have mental health problems.

* Co-operating with national and international organisations with similar objectives.

* Lobbying for the amendment of the Act on Associations so that the association of federations and other legal (non-profit) entities, as well as its individual members, are able to pursue a common purpose.

Chapter 2, Article 7

The Coalition achieves its goals through:
* Encouraging the exchange of information and experience among its members.
* Education and information programmes.
* Publications.
* Consulting to Coalition members.
* Consulting to other organisations, institutions, and individuals active in the area of mental health.
* Providing expertise and conducting research to further the objectives of the Coalition.
* Establishing self-help centres, therapeutic and rehabilitation services, and other facilities which provide social support and promote the social integration of people who have or used to have mental health problems.
* Supporting self-help activities for people with mental health problems.
* Supporting self-help activities for families of people diagnosed as mentally ill.
* Assisting persons after psychiatric treatment in their attempts to find employment and live independently.
* Supporting professionals who co-operate with self-help organisations in developing their qualifications.

The Coalition's first priority is to co-operate with other associations, societies, and institutions dealing with the problems of health and disability and dedicated to improving the quality of life and the cultural level in Poland. It strives to bring together scientific and educational institutions; professional organisations of lawyers, physicians, nurses, psychologists, sociologists, social workers, therapists, rehabilitation specialists, teachers, and educators; Parliament and Senate committees; trade unions and employers' organisations; local authorities; local and state administration; mass media, artists, and scientists and their organisations.

The Coalition's activities have been supported by the World Federation for Mental Health, the Committee for Ethics, Law and Psychiatry affiliated with the Council of Europe, the European Association of Users and Former Users of Mental Health Facilities, and the European Association of Families of the Mentally Ill. The Coalition participates in the collaborative network organised by the European Forum of NGOs dedicated to the problems of disability.

An extract from the Coalition's by-laws is reproduced above. Only Article 7.10 pertains to activities that enable people with mental health problems to gain access to the labour market. It states that one of the ways in which the Coalition will fulfill its mission is by: "Assisting persons after psychiatric treatment in their attempts to find employment and live independently."

Though there are NGOs which do some work toward preparing the disabled for paid employment, there is still no effective support system to help peo-

Though there are NGOs which do some work toward preparing the disabled for paid employment, there is still no effective support system to help people suffering from mental health impairments to compete in the open labour market.

Updated by BB. Approved by PA. Last update: 25 September 2000.

Updated by AC. Approved by PA. Last update: 9 May 2001.

Mental Health in the Workplace