Mental heAlth professionals’ learning community – continuous traininG program for practItionerS working with people affecTed by mEntal disoRders

MAGISTER project (Mental heAlth professionals’ learning community – continuous traininG program for practItionerS working with people affecTed by mEntal disoRders) brought together a strong partnership 3 NGOs (CONCORDIA Humanitarian Organization, Estuar Foundation from Romania and the Association for Cerebral Palsy from Coimbra, Portugal) and an Austrian university (Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences - FHV). The project aimed to improve quality of services provided by mental health practitioners at European level, in order to foster social inclusion of people affected by mental illnesses, anxiety and depression. The project has increased the capacity of mental health training delivery in Romania, Austria and Portugal, promoted the collaboration among mental health practitioners at European level and transfered good practices from Austria to Romania and Portugal. The joint development of training curricula improved practical competences, as well as the capacity to approach raising number of anxiety and depression cases, had offered work-based learning opportunities to professionals in mental health. The project has improved the capacity of 48 practitioners from Romania and Portugal in offering social services to people with mental disorders through short term joint staff training events. 11 among those 48 trainers also had the chance to participate at a ToT to further spread their knowledge.Over 250 professionals in mental health field at European have been informed throughout the project about the innovative toolkit of working instruments validated within the project and benefit continously of networking opportunities offered through the Online Practitioners Community.The project had a solid scientific base offered by the participation of the Austrian academic partner, which oversaw the validation of methods and working instruments and ensured evaluation in all phases of the project, including impact evaluation.Results: About 1.500 beneficiaries and their families will have access to better quality of services resulting in better social insertion. About 2.000 persons from public opinion, 350 practitioners, 30 trainers, 150 service providers and 15 authorities from 3 EU countries have been informed about project results. Partner organizations from Romania and Portugal have included the developed curricula in their existing training portfolio and will ensure training of other 120 professionals over a 3 year period, after the project's end.