The meeting on Access to Social Services from a Community Mental Health Perspective, organized by the General Directorate of Services for the Persons with Disabilities and Elderly, as part of the World Mental Health Day, was held online on October 12, 2021.

 The opening speech of the meeting, moderated by Hulusi Armağan YILDIRIM, Head of Social and Economic Participation in Social and Economic Life of the General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly, was delivered by the General Director of Services for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly, Uzm. Dr. Orhan KOÇ.

We Care About This Mental Health Action Plan That Ensures All State Institutions and Organizations Work in An Organized Way With Multidisciplinary Approaches

Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ stating that the theme of 'World Mental Health Day' is celebrated with the theme of 'mental health in an unequal world' this year, and he is pleased to be together with private and official care centres, provincial directors and representatives of non-governmental organizations, said: “We care about this mental health action plan, which enables all state institutions and organizations to work in an organized manner with multidisciplinary approaches. As the General Directorate and the Ministry, we are in an important dimension of mental health services. As the general directorate, we have a coordination task in the field of services for persons with disabilities and elderly. Employment of people with mental health disabilities is very important. When we look at the labour shift, we can think of a serious economic loss. We have supported employment programs. We have protected workplaces projects.”

 General Director of Services for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly, Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ; said: “The overall goal of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts to support mental health”. He stated that “Community Mental Health Centres (TRSM) are centres that provide psychosocial support services to patients with mental problems within the framework of a community-based mental health model, provide follow-ups and treatments of patients, and provide an effective and accessible service.”

Coordination between Relevant Institutions is Required for the Diversity and Sustainability of Mental Health Services

Spc. Dr. KOÇ stated that an extremely comprehensive activity was carried out in mental health services in order to switch to a community-based model, that the collected data is important, that the target audience and individuals in need of service are reached with infrastructure works in this field, that they care about this, but that this is not enough, that a holistic approach and inclusiveness in all areas of social life are carried out and that World Mental Health Day was celebrated with the wish of a life befitting human dignity within the framework of social inclusion concepts.

Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ; He emphasized that in order to ensure the sustainability of the educational studies given to him in the treatment of mental health patients in terms of health services, it is necessary to attract non-governmental organizations, volunteers and local administrations, and that the studies on mental health carried out by different ministries should complement each other.

It is Social Responsibility to Bring Persons with Disabilities to a Better Life Level

 General Director of Services for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly, Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ; pointing out that it is a social responsibility to bring persons with disabilities to a better life, said that the Ministry of Family and Social Services is ready to do its part in this area and that mental health patients can benefit from the daytime services provided in the institutions of the Ministry. In addition, he stated that the setup and logistics of daycare services for mental health patients should also be different, and that they attach importance to the development of different methods for this reason.

 At the online meeting on Access to Social Services from the Perspective of Community Mental Health, organized by the General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly within the scope of World Health Day, Head of Ankara University Faculty of Health Sciences Social Work Department, Prof. Dr. Elif GÖKÇEARSLAN ÇİFCI and the President of the Community Mental Health Association Psychiatrist Dr. Gazi ALATAŞ took place as speakers. 120 people, including administrators and professional personnel from the official and private care centres that serve the individuals with mental disabilities, attended the meeting.