General Description

PROSPECT

Prospect is a result of a project developed by the European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI). It combines the input from sixteen partner organisations, as well as representatives of people with mental illness, family carers, and health and social care professionals from twelve European countries.

The pilot stage of the project began in December 2001 and came to an end in November or 2004. The pilot stage was financed by the EU under the LEONARDO programme, by support from Eli Lilly, and from contributions from the partners in the project.

These three years were spent on developing the Prospect Training Programmes and training Prospect Facilitators to be able to deliver these. 

Drawing on best practice within the partnership and its networks, the aims of the prospect training programmes are to support recovery from mental illness and promote inclusion in the community for people with self-experience of mental illness, their family and their carers. It trains and educates participants to develop their skills and competencies to create new opportunities for social integration and employment. In addition it seeks to sensitise social and health professionals to new approaches.

The Prospect training programmes have a number of flexible, integrated modules, each led by facilitators drawn from the target group i.e. those with self-experience facilitate the module for others with self-experience.

• The Prospect People with Self-Experience Training Programme aims to promote recovery, improve skills and increase access to training and employment
• The Prospect Family and Friends Training Programme addresses the needs of carers in their own right, to enable them to gain confidence, improve their coping skills, regain control and improve their quality of life
• The Prospect Health and Social Care Professionals Training Programme - from either a hospital or community setting - aims to improve communication with and support for family members and those with self-experience by challenging professional concepts. In addition, it seeks to sensitise social and health care professionals to new approaches to working with people with mental health problems
• The Common Ground Module - a module bringing members of all three target groups together to discuss and brainstorm over productive communication.

The programmes are comprised of a specific mix of training methods, approaches and information regarding coping skills (incl. forms of psychological-education), skills to improve communication, co-operation and teamwork.

These programmes are NOT information courses. For information about these and other programmes, please look at our review of the "State of the Art" on the Resources page.

Who was involved in Prospect?

The following European family organisations were involved:

• EUROPE EUFAMI (Promoter)
• NETHERLANDS Ypsilon (Co-ordinator)
• DENMARK Landesforeninga SIND
• FINLAND Hyvan Mielen Talo Ry
• FINLAND Tampere - Families promoting mental health in Tampere
• FRANCE UNAFAM
• IRELAND Schizophrenia Ireland
• ITALY Unione Nationale delle Associazione per Salute Mentale - UNASAM
• PORTUGAL Associacion para o estudio e Integracao Psichosocial - AEIPS
• SPAIN Confederacion Espagnola de Agrupoaciones de Familiales Y Enfermos Mentales - FEAFES
• SLOVAKIA OPORA Denna Psychi. Nemocnica
• SLOVENIA Slovenija Nacionalno Zdruzenje Kakovost Zivljenja - OZARA
• SWEDEN Sahlgrenska University Psychiatric Hospital Rehabilitation Department
• SWEDEN Schizofreniforbundet
• UK National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland)

The Prospect Training Programmes are now available in the following languages:

• Danish
• Dutch
• English
• Finish
• French
• Italian
• Portuguese
• Slovakian
• Slovenian
• Spanish
• Swedish

And it is hoped that more translations will soon be added.

2004 onwards !

The Prospect Development Centre has been established by EUFAMI and the PROSPECT partners to continue supporting those who deliver the PROSPECT Training Programmes.

The Prospect Development Centre also enables and supports new Prospect partners. The Prospect Development "Centre" is a group of people who are very well qualified (by experience) to advise new partners how to use the programmes and to guide how it develops in the future by reviewing and updating the content of the Prospect Training Programmes.

The overall aim of the Prospect Development Centre is to make a practical contribution to on-going efforts in Europe to improve the quality of care for people with severe mental illness and strengthen support possibilities for their caring relatives and friends through the Prospect Training Programmes.