Policy
Development Component
The main strategies underlying mental health policy development focus on contributing to broad system change at local, regional and national levels.
- Local strategies to influence mental health service policies: establishing the capacity of agents of change. Activities of Education and Demonstration model components are, in part, designed to enhance abilities of professionals and service consumers to become agents of change. The strategy is similar to one used when the Canadian mental health system went through similar major changes some time ago. Russian graduates of the Education COL cohorts and Canadian Travel Study groups, including professionals, consumers and administrative leaders, become agents of change within the broader context of Russian mental health service system. They provide training, consultation and program leadership in their home regions, consistent with the directions of the Program. Training participants are initially selected on the basis of their demonstrated and potential ability to contribute to achieving the Program policy development objectives, and intentionally chosen from a variety of disciplines and positions in voluntary and public sector mental health organizations to have the widest possible influence.
- Policy change at the regional level. Developing innovative models is associated with the formal adoption of new service standards (instructions) by regional governments. There are many examples. N Stavropol, Methodological Recommendations document on Social Work in Psychiatry was adopted by the Regional Ministries of Health and Social Protection in 2005. In Omsk, new service standards have been approved for a community-based program called Intensive Community Treatment Team. In Ryazan, as a result of municipal government’s policy changes inspired by the Program COL graduates and consumers, a comprehensive collaboration was achieved between mental health service and social service centres.
- Policy change at the national level:
- Methodological Recommendations (Policy Guidelines) approved by the federal government. Innovative service models tested by the Demonstration sites are constantly analyzed and evaluated by MRIP in collaboration with the regional leaders. Summarized standards of service are effectively disseminated and implemented across the country through developing Methodological Recommendations. To date, at least three such Methodological Recommendations have been adopted by the Federal Ministry of Health (additional information is available upon request).
- Contributing to the Resolutions of major national professional associations’ meetings. Significant input has been made by Project leaders to policy-making Resolutions of major professional forums, such as the annual All-Russia Consultation of Head Psychiatrists and Annual Conference of Russian Society of Psychiatrists. As a result, these resolutions include recommendations on community-oriented policy changes, which are submitted to and reviewed by the Ministry of Health, and influence the policies.
- Dissemination of knowledge. Experience is shared nationally through numerous publications in professional and scholarly journals, publishing manuals and books that feature community mental health approaches, and presentations at regional and national professional forums. As such, over 30 publications have been done through the National Journal Social and Clinical Psychiatry . At least two professional manuals on psychosocial rehabilitation and social work in mental health, authored by the Program participants, have been published to date.
