Dialogic Minds: Transfering Dialogic Literary Gatherings to mental health across Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Dialogic Minds: Transfering Dialogic Literary Gatherings to mental health across Europe

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Disabilities – special needs; Inclusion – equity; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

CONTEXT
The concept of mental health has progressed during the last decades. Currently, according to the World Health Organization, a good mental health is related to mental and psychological well-being. In the last years, diverse perspectives such as education have incorporated to this concept. In fact, the Mental Health Action Plan (MHAP) 2013 – 2020 mentions the importance of providing “a comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health and social care services in community-based settings” and the need of basing the strategies and interventions on scientific evidence and/or best practice.
During the last four years, Agora has applied a Successful Educational Action, Dialogic Literary Gatherings, to a new context: mental health services users, with the aim of supporting the rehabilitation process as well as the social inclusion of all the participants. The great results among participants in Barcelona pointed out to an opportunity to transfer this activity and its benefits to other organisations in Europe.

OBJECTIVES
1. Contribute to the social inclusion of the adult users of mental health services
2. Improve some of their basic skills and competences as well as the wellbeing
3. Offer a tool to support the process of mental health advancement and promote the access
and transition to further educational activities and opportunities of the participants
4. Obtain evidence of the impact and benefits of DLGs on mental health users in order to
encourage other centers to implement them
5. Train professionals and volunteers to act as moderators of the DLGs with mental health users
6. Raise awareness between policy makers and stakeholders about the importance of
including Successful Educational Actions, like DLGs, to support the mental health process and promote the social inclusion.

PARTICIPANTS
– Mental health users older than 18, especially those from vulnerable groups (low socieconomic status, low level of education, unemployed, etc.)
– Mental health and adult education professionals
– Stakeholders and policy makers working in mental health and adult education

ACTIVITIES
OUTPUT 1: Case studies and scientific article about the impact and benefits of DLGs on mental health users
In order to obtain evidences, we will implement DLGs in 3 different European organisations in Spain, Greece and Bulgaria.
OUTPUT 2: MOOC course on how to implement DLGs with mental health users
Will be implemented online by 10 adult education and/or mental health professionals from each participant country.
OUTPUT 3: Dialogic Policy Recommendations and Manifesto about the impact and benefits of the implementation of Successful Educational Actions with mental health users
We will carry out a participative process in partner countries to elaborate them. Education and training policy makers, the whole mental health and education community and mental health users, will be part of the participative process and everything will be agreed between all of them using egalitarian dialogue

METHODOLOGY
The project uses the dialogic methodology and Dialogic Literary Gatherings. They were defined as one of the Successful Educational Actions within the framework of the INCLUD-ED project Strategies for inclusion and social cohesion in Europe from education (2006-2011), a study carried out by 15 European research institutions and focused on successful educational actions (SEAs) with evidence of their impact on academic achievement and social cohesion.

RESULTS, IMPACT AND BENEFITS

1. Improved educational and instrumental skills, as well as better communication skills and critical thinking
2. More self-confidence and self-esteem and therefore, better future expectations
3. More active participation in society and community activities
4. Increased demand and take-up of adult educational opportunities by mental health services users
5. Increased number of organisations implementing SEAs like DLGs
6. Raised awareness among policy makers and relevant stakeholders about the importance of incorporating SEAs like DLGs to support the mental health rehabilitation and social inclusion

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 192414 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASOCIACION DE PERSONAS PARTICIPANTES AGORA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Federació d’Associacions Culturals i Educatives de Persones Adultes
• Fundatia Estuar
• Stichting Drawing to Health
• KENTRO MERIMNAS OIKOGENEIAS KAI PAIDIOU