Demonstration Model Component

demonstration models:
community-Oriented mental health pilot programs

Seven Demonstration model sites in three Program regions are pursuing the objective of developing community-based mental health rehabilitation approaches to test and demonstrate alternatives to Russia’s large and aging hospital-based mental health system. Leadership is provided by the graduates of Mental Health COL cohorts.

Guiding Principles

A set of General Guiding Principles to guide the development of mental health stream demonstration models, has been adopted. Consistent with these principles, demonstration sites are developing an increasing number of model services directed towards prevention of admission to mental hospitals, early return to the community and, increasingly, provision of community supports.

Participating regions include Stavropol, Omsk, and Central Russia Region (including Moscow, Moscow region, Tambov, Ryazan, and St. Petersburg) – please see the Site Map. For detailed information on Demonstration model developments, please click on the following links:

General Observations Russian English
Omsk Russian English
Stavropol Russian English
Moscow and Central Russia Russian English

Travel Study program

General Information

The four-year Program within the Mental Health Stream included a total of three (3) two-week Travel Study Tours: first on January 17 – 31, 2004, second on February 14 - 28, 2005, and third on February 16 – March 5, 2006. The Study Tours were hosted by the University of Calgary in partnership with the Calgary Health Region.

These intense learning events were designed to enhance knowledge capacity and strategies for collaboration, governance, and innovative policy development in mental health. With this purpose, the composition of visiting groups encouraged the participants’ diversity by both background and geography. Each of the visiting groups was comprised of 10 to 12 Russian participants representing a unique blend of family advocacy organization leaders, mental health professionals, and ministerial leaders from all three Program regions. The hosting activities involved Alberta consumer leaders, government officials, and mental health experts, and were enriching for both countries’ participants.

General learning objectives included the following areas:
  1. Community alternatives to hospitalization: brief hospital admission and crisis management, mobile crisis teams, early episode treatment programs, day rehabilitation programs, rural outreach, and other programs.
  2. Community resources. Community-based skill-learning rehabilitation and vocational programs, Club House and Self Help models, primary care and shared care, and other models. What might be possible?
  3. Consumer and family role. Facilitate engagement of Russian professionals and government leaders with consumers. Collaborative action towards policy change.
  4. Deinstitutionalization processes. What steps can be taken?
Governance and policy learning objectives:
  1. What policies make community based mental health services possible? How is funding arranged? How was funding handled during the transition from institution-based to community-based services?
  2. How does the government in Alberta work collaboratively with service providers and service consumers to ensure their involvement in informing policies? Advocacy and governance models.

Participants: Top Russian mental health consumers, professional and government leaders who are currently involved in demonstration model development in different regions of Russia.

For information on learning schedules, sites, and themes, please see the latest (2006) Study Tour Working Schedule: Russian   English 

First Travel Study (January 17-31, 2004):
Russian mental health leaders at the University of Calgary, with the Canadian program participants

Second Travel Study (February 14-28, 2005):
Russian mental health leaders at the University of Calgary, with the Canadian program participants





THIRD TRAVEL STUDY (February 16 – March 5, 2006): Russian mental health leaders at the University of Calgary, with the Canadian program participants from Calgary and Winnipeg

Canadian content experts’ consultation visits to regional demonstration sites in russia

Canadian experts’ on-site consultations help immensely in deepening the understanding and expertise in each region. Each of the seven demonstration model sites in Russia has a different main focus. Canadian content experts relevant to the focus of each particular region visit the regions, to provide narrow-focused on-site consultation to Project Leaders. For example, a pilot project developing an Early Psychotic Episode Treatment program designed to prevent hospitalization, would have an expert in that area spend time with them. On many occasions, leaders from other regions in Russia join their colleagues on a particular Program site, to benefit from these consultations. To date, the following content expert consultation events have been completed:

  1. Community-oriented organizational models in mental health. Location: Omsk, March 27 – April 2, 2004; Content Expert: Dr. Aldred Neufeldt

    2. Community-based mental health rehabilitation programs include employment activities in Omsk region

  2. General practical issues of community psychiatry and Early Psychotic Episode Treatment. Two Locations: Stavropol, October 27 – 29, 2004, and Moscow, October 31 – November 2, 2004; Content Expert: Dr. Michael Eleff

    3. Dr. Michael Eleff and Dr. Isaac Gurovich in Moscow, October 2004

  3. Innovative organizational models in community mental health. Two Locations: Moscow, March 31 – April 1, 2005, and Tambov (with the participation of three Ryazan Demonstration Model Leaders), April 4 – 6, 2005; Content Expert: Dr. Aldred Neufeldt

    4. Dr. Neufeldt (right) at Tambov Regional Psychiatric Hospital with colleagues from Tambov, Ryazan and the Moscow Institute, April 2005

  4. Early Psychotic Episode Treatment and community-based early interventions. Three Locations: Moscow, May 26 – 28, 2005, St. Petersburg, June 1 – 2, 2005, and Stavropol, June 4 – 6, 2005; Content Expert: Dr. Donald Addington

    5. Early Psychotic Episode Treatment Program in Moscow

  5. Planned for October 2005: Community-oriented service models in mental health: ACT model, housing and employment programs. Location: Omsk; Content Experts: Ms. Beth Evans and Ms. Faye Knudson

    6. Beth Evans and Faye Knudson with Dr. A. Utkin and Omsk professionals Omsk, October 2005

  6. Working with people with psychiatric disabilities: social inclusion. Location: Moscow NE Bibirevo Social Service Centre, October 2005. Content Expert: Ms. Faye Knudson
  7. Future vision and inter-sectoral planning of community mental health services. Location: Omsk, March 20 – 22, 2006. Content Expert: Dr. Aldred Neufeldt
  8. Innovative organizational models in rehabilitation of people with chronic psychiatric disorders. Location: St. Petersburg psychiatric hospital # 1, June 1 – 2; Content Experts: Dr. Aldred Neufeldt and Dr. John Toews
  9. Innovative organizational models in housing and rehabilitation (including a conference for the hospital personnel, and a seminar with Ryazan consumer group). Location: Ryazan, May 25 – 27, 2006. Content Expert: Dr. Aldred Neufeldt
  10. Moving Ahead in Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Location – three sites: St. Petersburg, Tambov, and Moscow Psychiatric Hospital #10 (up to one week on each site, with the participation of visiting Stavropol partners), November 20 – December 8, 2006. Content Experts: Ms. Beth Evans and Ms. Faye Knudson