Be Mindful: An innovative mindfulness based training program for mental health professionals Erasmus Project

Project Title

Be Mindful: An innovative mindfulness based training program for mental health professionals

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Pedagogy and didactics; Disabilities – special needs; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

Mindfulness as a practice is thousands of years old in fact, but its techniques have been adopted by modern psychology in recent years. Ever since, its applicability to everyday life and especially its stress-combating effect has become renowned worldwide. However, its application to professionals in the mental health field is something which has not been focused on to date, and we believe this practice to be a vital tool in tackling the most common issues facing people working in this area as well as a way to accompany their patients’ recovery.
The Be Mindful project was an international collaboration between specialists in Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and service providers in the mental health field. Professionals from 3 different countries and 5 organizations- Intras Foundation, Ozara d.o.o., PsicACT, IPSA and ACT Institutet- have joined forces to work together on the development of an innovative training course in mindfulness for mental health professionals. Information on the partner organizations can be found on https://www.bemindful-project.eu/tipo-portfolio/partners/.
Be Mindful project’s main objective was the development of Be Mindful&ACT, a tailor-made online training program in Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Mental Health Professionals. The finalized 13-week training program combines action mechanisms traditionally attributed to interventions based on mindfulness with the last years’ advances in elements that have proven to be enriching in protocols directed at augmenting the Psychological Flexibility from the perspective of the functional-contextual science. The training program uses a metaphor of maritime navigation to refer to going through life- the ship serves as an analogy of the body and the weather conditions represent the thoughts, feelings and sensations. The first part of the program focuses on the potentiation of the own psychological flexibility of the mental health professionals and learning ways to relate with stressful thoughts and feelings to enable actions based on what is important to the individual at a precise moment. The second part of the program has been specifically designed to be employed in the work with patients and clients. The training modules have been developed by psychologists with ample experience in research, design and delivery of mindfulness trainings to professionals from different fields.
Individuals working with people with mental health issues face immense levels of stress and difficult situations daily. The techniques taught through Be Mindful training program directly address such issues and provide professionals with the tools and skill set to accurately and effectively disengage and deal with the situation at hand, lessening rumination and perceived stress. The mental health professionals trained in BeMindful&ACT begin to feel calmer, think more clearly and have better reactions to what surrounds them, which has a positive effect on the people with mental health issues under their care. Be Mindful&ACT provides the professionals with knowledge on the specific needs and application of mindfulness to people with mental health issues. The online modality of Be Mindful&ACT makes the program accessible to professionals all over Europe and beyond, whilst the availability of an online tutor ensures the training is accurate and effective for those who undertake it. Fifty-eight professionals from the mental health sector were trained in Spain and Slovenia during the online tutored pilot experience of Be Mindful&ACT, aimed at testing the training program’s contents and the usability of the online platform. The training program and the platform were amended based on the evaluations of the participants in the pilot. The shape of the finalized BeMindful&ACT e-learning course is an organic, open, flexible, spiraling model of growth that promotes positive change in mental healthcare. Participants can expect to enhance clarity of mind, reduce stress responses, develop greater self-awareness and self-compassion, and learn to realize own internal responses that will lead to therapeutic relationships marked by empathy and harmony.
The final version of the training can be accessed from the section “training course” of the Be Mindful project’s website (https://www.bemindful-project.eu/ ) in three languages: English, Spanish and Slovenian. To access the training course, click on the course in the desired language version and introduce the user: demo/ password: Demo.2018.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 117247,95 Eur

Project Coordinator

FUNDACION INTRAS & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Centro de Psicología PsicoACT S.L.P
• OZARA storitveno in invalidsko podjetje d.o.o.
• ACT Institutet Sweden AB
• INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY AND COUNSELLING, LJUBLJANA