Past network meetings
Alexandroupolis, Greece | March 27–28, 2025
The international seminar “Dealing with Crisis: A Community Mental Health Response to Natural Disasters” brought together over 80 participants from 8 countries for two days of meaningful exchange, practice sharing, and reflection in Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Hosted by the Society of Social Psychiatry P. Sakellaropoulos in collaboration with the EUCOMS Network, the seminar offered a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of environmental disasters and mental health care, with a special focus on community-based responses.
The event featured presentations from local and international speakers, personal testimonies from service users, and inspiring discussions on best practices from Greece, Turkey, Spain, and Italy. A special highlight was the emotional screening of “940.000”, a short film created by students of Alexandroupolis, portraying the devastating impact of the 2023 Evros wildfires.
Participants also visited the Society’s Mobile Mental Health Units and the Pre-Vocational & Vocational Training Program, experiencing firsthand how mental health care is delivered in remote communities.
The seminar served as a powerful reminder of the importance of collaboration, lived experience, and community resilience in responding to crisis situations, and left all participants with new ideas, stronger networks, and renewed commitment to strengthening community mental health care across Europe.
Click Here to read the Meeting Report
Lived experience and peer expertise are at the heart of mental health transformation. On March 12th, we held a special EUCOMS Learning from Each Other webinar:
📢 Heiloo Declaration on Peer Leadership
In June 2024, 30 peer leaders from 12 countries gathered in Heiloo, The Netherlands, as part of the Global Leadership Exchange (GLE). Together, they explored the role, methods, and needs of Peer and Lived Experience Leadership, leading to the co-production of the Heiloo Declaration.
In this webinar, we shared key insights from this process and discussed how peer leadership can shape the future of mental health systems.
📅 Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025
🌟 Program Highlights:
🎼 Music Performance by Fiona Doornbos
💬 Opening & Closing Reflections on working with peer experts
🎤 Key Presentations:
•Martina Rojnic Kuzman – Opening & Closure
•Sean Russell – Global Leadership Exchange and the Peer Leadership Network
•Lisa Androulidakis – The Heiloo Declaration
🎙️ Moderator: Beverley Rose
Click here for the Youtube recording of the Webinar
📅 Date: January 29, 2025
⏰ Time: 19:00-20:30 CET | 20:00-21:30 Ukraine Time
📍 Where: Online Zoom Webinar
🌟 Topic: Developing Community-Based Mental Health Care in Ukraine
🎼 Music Performance
💬 Voices of Experience: Opening and closing reflections by Oleksii Skrypachenko, a person with lived experience, a peer expert from Kyiv and the musician who will sing live for us.
🎤 Key Presentations:
•Olga Gorbaneva: The All-Ukraine Mental Health Program
•Tayisiya Symohko & Iryna Roshkovych: Developments in Zakarpattia
•Orest Suvalo: Mental Health 4 Ukraine
Watch the recording (for English speakers)
Дивіться запис тут (for Ukrainian speakers)
We are proud to present the Final Report of the EUCOMS Lisbon Seminar, held on November 21-22, 2024, at the Fundação Oriente Museum in Lisbon, Portugal. Originally envisioned as an intimate seminar for under 100 participants, we were delighted to welcome 350 participants from across Europe from 11 countries. The overwhelming response transformed this gathering into a vibrant and impactful meeting, emphasizing the importance of the topics addressed and the enthusiasm of the mental health community.
The meeting centered on the theme of “Sustainable Mental Health in the Community and Mental Health Reform in Portugal,” providing a platform to explore critical topics such as:
• Training and implementation of Community Mental Health Teams (CMHT)
• Sustainable recovery and inclusion practices
• Peer support and recovery college experiences
• Housing first initiatives and social prescriptions
• Examples of mental health reform from various European countries
This report includes summaries of the presentations, speaker profiles, and select PowerPoint slides, along with photos and descriptions of site visits to innovative community mental health projects in Lisbon. These visits showcased Portugal’s remarkable progress in mental health reform and provided real-world inspiration for participants.
We hope this report captures the spirit of the event and serves as a resource for continued collaboration and progress in sustainable mental health care. Thank you to all speakers, participants, and organizers for making this meeting an extraordinary success!
Click here to read the Meeting Report
“Social value of peer support in and outside of prisons” will demonstrate examples of good practice when it comes to lived experience perspectives and peer-run activities in Northern European prisons. Organizations and individuals are actively working to improve the prison population’s living standards inside and outside of prisons. This webinar will afford us insights into a secluded world, create inspiration and hope, as well as develop ideas for networking, social projects and funding sources.
Program of the webinar:
Opening
Áslaug María Júlíusdóttir – Peer Expert with prison experience
From Prisoners to Policymakers
Join Guðmunur Ingi Þóroddsson, chairman of Afstaða, as he shares the inspiring journey of this NGO, founded by prisoners 20 years ago. Discover how they have developed peer services, provided family support, and engaged in policy making.
Norwegian Prisoner Peer Support
Johan Lothe, Managing Director of Wayback
This session will offer insights into the work of WayBack and peer support inside and outside Norwegian prisons.
Exchange Visit: Insights from EUCOMS Members exchange
EUCOMS members Traustur Kjarni (Iceland), Erfaringssentrum (Norway), with their project partner Sinnisbati (Faroe Islands) will discuss their exchange visit to Perspectives in Lithuania, funded by the EEA program. Understand the status of peer support in the Lithuanian health system and prisons.
Moving Forward: Developing a Prisoner Peer Support Network
Ann-Mari Lofthus post-doc at University Inland Norway and social entrepreneur will outline the development projects for the Prisoner Peer Support Network in the Nordic countries. She will also discuss opportunities for collaboration with interested parties across Europe for future initiatives.
Click here to watch the Youtube recording
We are thrilled to share that the webinar hosted by the EUCOMS Network on LGBTI+ issues and mental health was a great success! Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the rich and insightful discussions with our esteemed speakers, Prof. Niels Mulder, Dr. Koray Basar, Liberty Simon, and Sven Keet.
For those who were unable to attend, we are happy to inform you that the recording of the webinar is now available. We encourage you to watch and benefit from the important conversations and valuable insights shared during the event.
Thank you for your continued support in raising awareness of these critical topics!
Click here to watch the recording
“The WHO Flagship Initiative on Mental Health: Scope for Collaboration with EUCOMS.”
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Ledia Lazeri, Regional Adviser, Mental Health Flagship, WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Chaired by: Dr. Ionela Petrea, CEO, Insight International Institute for Mental Health & EUCOMS Network Board Director.
Introduction and Closing Remarks by Callum Ross, Peer Expert, and Partner at Habitus Collective UK.
Music Performance by SPOT, a creative workshop for young people in Alkmaar, The Netherlands.
Panel Discussion with Special Guests: Tor Helge Tjelta, Dr Aleksandar Tomcuk, Dr Matthias Albers, Mr Tiberiu Rotaru & Prof Manuel Franco-Martin.
Don’t miss this opportunity! Click the YouTube recording below:
Click here for the webinar recording
A Spotlight on Society of Social Psychiatry P. Sakellaropoulos.
Let’s delve into the thematic group Models of Care, spotlighting the vibrant mental health landscape in Greece.
– What to Expect:
1️⃣ General Presentation: Explore the community mental health services across four regions in Greece.
2️⃣ Mobile Mental Health Units: Dive into two insightful presentations, unravelling the innovative models shaping mental health care.
– Let’s come together to learn, share, and advance our understanding of mental health care models. Whether you’re a professional, advocate, or simply curious about the future of mental health, this webinar is for you!
Topics:
1. The community-based mental health services of the Society of Social Psychiatry P. Sakellaropoulos across four regions in Greece
2. Τhe paradigm of the Mobile Mental Health Units in mental healthcare delivery in rural areas in Greece
3. Working with community towards enhanced resiliency in a period of environmental crisis. The role of the Mobile Mental Health Units
The Society of Social Psychiatry P.Sakellaropoulos is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 1981, having its roots in 1964, to provide quality mental health services. The Company works with the population to raise awareness of mental health issues and promotes the prevention, timely intervention, social inclusion and employment of people with mental health problems, strengthening respect for their human condition and equality as citizens.
Click here to watch the webinar recording
In a rapidly evolving world, we are embracing the digital era to enhance and expand the reach of mental health care services.
Theme: ‘Developments of GGZ NHN in Digital Care’
Discover how GGZ NHN is leading the way with groundbreaking advancements in digital care, bringing innovation, accessibility, and quality care to individuals in need. Our distinguished speakers will delve into the intricacies of this vital transformation, emphasizing the impact on our community and the larger picture of mental health care.
What to Expect:
Insights into the digital evolution of mental health care.
Real-world success stories from GGZ NHN.
Opportunities for community participation and engagement.
Who Should Attend:
Mental health service providers
Service users and caregivers
Advocates for quality mental health care
Policy influencers
Anyone interested in the future of mental health services
Don’t miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of change in the mental health care landscape. Together, we can make a profound difference in the lives of those who rely on our support and services.
Click here for the Youtube live recording link
More info at: https://eaof2023.com/
Eucoms Network, in collaboration with the Global Mental Health Peer Network (GMHPN), proudly hosted on 28 June a webinar titled “Peer Expertise: Perspectives from Europe and Africa.” The event aimed to foster dialogue and share valuable insights on mental health from esteemed speakers representing Croatia, Norway, South Africa, and Uganda. This article highlights the key takeaways from the webinar, providing an overview of each speaker’s presentation and offering access to their PowerPoint presentations.
‘Supporting Networks: balancing the roles and needs of friends, family and formal carers’ on May 26th. Organized by Dutch International Mental Health Hub in collaboration with EUFAMI and the ‘Waardenetwerk Mentale Gezondheid’ of de Nederlandse ggz.
Speakers:
☀️ Seval Sonmez: Trainer, speaker and consultant on family supporters and mental health: The triangle of client, family and professionals: making it work
☀️ John Saunders: Executive Director of EUFAMI: Transformation towards Community Care. The Perspective of Families
☀️ Darryl Maybery, Professor of Rural Mental Health at Monash University: Mental health service engagement with family and carers: the 7 fundamental practices
☀️ Cassandra Barkman: Leisure-expert; Peer Specialist and leader at Altrecht and UMC Utrecht: Creating spaces of connection, learning together, hope & positivity
? Webinar Supporting Networks: balancing the roles and needs of family, friends and formal carers
? May 26th, 11-12 CET
✎ Register here
With Marjolein Martens and Youp van Zorge.
Mental Health Europe, International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership, #community, #EMHW, #mentalhealth
– Only in connection with the world around us we can successfully meet the challenges for a mentally healthy society –
April 26 | 2023 | Ongoing reform of Mental Health. From Institutions to Community Services | Webinar
We are pleased to invite you to join us for a free webinar, ‘Ongoing reform of mental health. From Institutions to community services’, hosted by the EUCOMS Network. This webinar is part of the ‘Learning from each other webinar series’ and will be held on 26th April at 19:00.
The webinar will be a follow-up step to the seminar we had between 17-20 March in Romania with 50 experts on mental health from 10 countries. The aim of the webinar is to continue the conversation around ongoing reform in mental health, with a focus on the shift from institutions to community services.
During the webinar, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities that come with this shift, and explore the best practices and strategies that can help support this transition. Our panel of speakers will include experts from various backgrounds, including healthcare and advocacy.
This is an excellent opportunity to learn from some of the most knowledgeable and experienced professionals in the field and to engage in a lively and informative discussion on this important topic.
To register for the webinar, please click the below link. We look forward to seeing you online.
| 19:00 | Live music |
| 19:05 | Welcome by the chair Beverley Rose |
| 19:07 | Raluca Hagianu: Importance and benefits of networking for people with lived experience |
| 19:15 | Tibi Rotaru: Deinstitutionalization in Siret. From Horror Orphanage to a model of good practices |
| 19:30 | Vasile Gafiuc: Bucovina models to support transition from institution to community activation |
| 19:45 | Mariya Bachmaha & Halyna Shtohryn: Deinstitutionalization in the time of war: notes from Ukraine |
| 20:00 | Live music intermezzo |
| 20:05 | Q & A |
| 20:22 | Closing by Gabriela Tănăsan: Mental Health Service Users’ Participation |
Click here for the Webinar review
It is with great pleasure that we present the report on the seminar held from March 17th to 20th, 2023 in Gura Humorului and Siret, Romania. The event, which was hosted at the Best Western Bucovina hotel, was a convergence of mental health enthusiasts and experts from 11 countries.
With over 50 attendees, the seminar focused on several panels, including Community Psychiatry, Mental Health Ecosystems, “no addiction” programs, WHO quality rights, tools for mental health care innovation and human rights input, contemporan challenges of Ukrainian Psychiatry and Mental Health, and Mental Health Reform in Republica Moldova (Mensana project).
The seminar was a source of inspiration, bringing together great leaders and experts in the field to exchange knowledge, insights, and experiences. Beyond the educational aspect of the event, the seminar was also filled with fun activities, making it a well-rounded and enjoyable experience for all attendees.
We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to Tiberiu Rotaru, the manager of the Psychiatric Hospital from Siret, who played a vital role in making this event possible. His support and dedication ensured the success of the seminar, and we are deeply grateful for his contributions.
We are proud to introduce our network, EUCOMS Network, which provided the perfect platform for attendees to meet and connect with one another. We welcome everyone to join our growing network of mental health enthusiasts and experts, and look forward to future collaborations and opportunities to advance mental health globally.
The final report of the meeting can be found here (click)
Primary care is at the heart of community mental health care. Primary Care professionals have essential roles in referring patients to specialized mental health services, providing integrated care for physical and mental health for co-existing conditions (e.g. diabetes and depression) and serving as the link between specialized care, primary care and social services.
This is a shared vision of the European Community Mental Health Service providers network (EUCOMS) described in their consensus paper and the European Form for Primary Care (EFPC) elaborated in their position paper on mental health.
Therefore, EFPC and EUCOMS are happy to collaborate and have a Memorandum of Understanding. In a joint webinar, both networks will shine a light on an ecosystem approach to mental health in primary care.
Click here to read the review of the webinar
More details on their website: https://euprimarycare.org/2022/10/05/webinar-students-mental-health/
More details on their website: https://euprimarycare.org/2022/10/10/webinar-community-nursing-the-austrian-experience/
The CARe Network is organising a working conference focusing on RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY, a programme for psychological and social recovery in Split, Croatia.
The CARe Network is welcoming you to a conference that brings together experiences and knowledge about recovery, open dialogue, experiential knowledge, trauma-informed care, and community building.
The conference will also be a meeting of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, to share stories of sorrow, hope and resilience, and to develop together a programme to support rebuilding lives and communities. We especially focus on the support we can offer for restoring mental health services, and for psychological and social recovery.
To learn more about the event and the registration link, please follow this link.
Link to the program: https://eucoms.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/STACprogram.pdf
After the 9th EUCOMS network meeting in Krakow in May 2022 during the Community Psychiatry Forum of Beneficiaries, Families and Professionals, the experts from Poland had the chance to talk about the reform on Mental Health in Poland in more detail having invited our friend from IIMHL, Sean Russell to give his reflection on the topic.
Click here to check the recording, the presentations and the answers to the questions in the webinar
The 11th EUCOMS network meeting took place in Krakow in May 2022 during the Community Psychiatry Forum of Beneficiaries, Families and Professionals.
A webinar organized by the Dutch International Mental Health Hub
What are the benefits of using a child rights-based approach? And how are these rights currently implemented in youth mental health care across the world?
In this webinar, we will focus on two rights in particular: the right to grow up (mentally) healthy and the right to be heard, and thus to be actively involved in policymaking.
Learn about the interaction between emergency aid and mental health services in three countries surrounding Ukraine: Moldova, Romania and Poland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6lc_1ThlB0
With contributions of Lidiia Kasianchuk Victoria Condrat Peter McBride Tiberiu Rotaru Artur Kochanski and Wendy Weijts and the music of Andriy Khlyvnyuk and Pink Floyd
Link to Powerpoint presentations of our speakers here
The main goal of the webinar is to share developments and findings from 4 different countries: the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and the Republic of Estonia. Questions we will address:
• What is the value of the (Peer) Open Dialogue approach?
• What is the role of peer workers and other professions in Open Dialogue?
• How the Open Dialogue Approach may change current mental health care practises?
• How may Open Dialogue be combined with other models or approaches?
• How to implement Open Dialogue in mental health care systems, in organisations, in teams?
The webinar will be hosted by Jean Pierre Wilken, the president of The CARe Network, a university professor involved in mental health care reforms and one of the authors of the Model CARe. He will introduce shortly the Open Dialogue approach, its core aspects in current developments and its connectedness to other models of care.
Our friends from Netherlands and Japan had great presentations on the main topics of the webinar: Resource Group and Seikatsu Rinsho.
Click here for the whole article + presentations + Youtube link to the webinar
On 26th January 2022, Trude Lønning, Elisabeth Høyland, Aud Bø and other experts presented the prevention strategy of the city of Sandnes in Norway.
On 15th December, Andreas Lamerz and his team from the community mental health service GGZ Noord-Holland-Nord, The Netherlands, presented their digital strategy, including a digital team and online recovery college.
Click Here to watch the recording.
On the 8th of September, Marianne Destoop and her team from Antwerp Belgium presented their practice for persons who are hard to engage.
Click Here to watch the recording.
On the 28th of April, Tor Helge Tjelta and Vesna Svab presented how the FACT model, which was developed in The Netherlands, was adapted in Norway and Slovenia.
Click Here to watch it now.
The 10th EUCOMS network meeting took place on the 27th of January and was on the topic of Peer support work.
Oda Hoilund, led the Webinar in collaboration with the Global Mental Health Peer support Network (GMHPN) in which 5 peer experts from around the globe presented how peer support became a fundament of community mental health.
More details of the meeting with the recording attached here.
This online EUCOMS network meeting was the first large webinar EUCOMS held. The topic for the meeting was how COVID-19 had affected mental health services across the globe.
Before the meeting:
Video from Plzen
Event website
Presentations:
Human Rights or Neglect challenges for a well-organised Mental Health – Philippe Delespaul
Laws the French context – Aurora Jeanroy
Presentation of the EPSM Lille Metropole – Frédéric Macabiau & Edvick Elia
Community involvement and human rights in Northern Romania – Tibi Rotaru
The Norway view of Human Rights – Tor Helge Tjeltja
The EUCOMS kick-off meeting took place on the 6th of April 2016 in Heiloo, Netherlands (hosted by GGZ Noord-Holland-Noord). Every year since then EUCOMS network meetings have been hosted by organizations from different European countries. So far the meetings have taken place in Belfast, Hamburg, Luxembourg, Màlaga, Lille and Pilzen.
