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Full name of project:
Developing HIV/AIDS & Mental Health Programs in new EU countries and transferring best practices and experience in the field from the old EU member-countries.

The project is being implemented in the following countries:
Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania

Coordinating partner: SKA (Poland)
Associates: GIP-Hilversum (Netherlands),  GIP-Sofia (Bulgaria), GIP (Vilnius), LIGO (Estonia), Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (Hungary),  Društvo Škuc (Slovenia), ARAS Romanian Association Against AIDS (Romania).  
Collaborative partners: Population Services International in Romania (PSI Romania), Association HIV.LV (Latvia)

The main goal of the project is to improve the quality of life of people with double/triple diagnosis (HIV/addiction/mental illness) in new EU member countries (Poland, Estonia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia) by increasing awareness of the relation between HIV/AIDS and mental health problems among professionals in relevant sectors and disseminating best practices existing in old EU member countries in the area of integrated approach towards mental health and HIV/AIDS (e.g. Dutch multidisciplinary treatment team model). The project is foreseen for three years. It comprises research, educational, advocacy activities, as well as the establishment of expert centers on mental health and HIV/AIDS due to which is sustainability after three years will be ensured. Ideally, the project will lead to inclusion of mental health component into national, regional and European HIV strategies and policies.

For more information see: www.mentalhealthhiv.eu

• Improved quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS with better access to good quality psychological and/or psychiatric support;  
• Improved knowledge, skills and attitudes of HIV care providers on mental health and improved knowledge, skills and attitudes of mental health care providers on HIV prevention and treatment as a critical element of successful integration of mental health and HIV services;  
• Increased awareness of mental health professionals trained during the project about risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in case of mental patients; improved skills of mental health professionals in shaping less risky behaviors of mental patients;   
• Improved skills of counselors, medical professionals trained during the project in using post-test, follow up, adherence support counseling, support groups etc. for assessing mental health needs, providing psychological support, referring patients to relevant psychological and psychiatric services;  
• Various multidisciplinary teams (community psychiatry, OTS programs, social welfare system etc.) address physical, psychological, psychiatric and social needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in their care;  
• Accreditation of the training modules and inclusion of the training modules into regular professional education in Poland, Estonia, Bulgaria and, possibly, other countries involved;   
• Changed attitude of mental health and HIV services, professional associations of infectiologists, psychiatrists, psychologists etc. towards integrated approach towards HIV and mental health; 
• Existence of network of expert centers on mental health and HIV/AIDS in 3 EU countries (PL, EST, BU) that plays a key role in awareness raising, promotion of inter-sectoral collaboration and fighting stigma & discrimination;  
• Established network of NGOs working in the area of mental health and HIV in Czech republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary advocating for inclusion of mental health in national HIV policies and providing education in the area of HIV/AIDS and mental health;  
• In creased number of NGOs on the national level working in the area of HIV/AIDS and mental health and advocating for integrated approach to HIV/AIDS and mental health; 
• Increased number of patient NGOs, people living with HIV/AIDS trained during the project improve their knowledge on promotion and maintenance of mental health as well as recognizing signs of mental illness;   
• Inclusion of mental health issues in some National HIV policies, strategies;  
• Comprehensive report on mental health and HIV/AIDS in new EU member countries based on the research and documentation of the MH problems and needs of those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, of existing services, links between relevant sectors and relationships with NGOs etc.;  
• Decreased  stigmatizing  and discriminating attitude and behavior of HIV, mental health service, social welfare providers towards people living with HIV/AIDS, including those with double/triple diagnosis (HIV, drug abuse, mental illness).

For more information about European Commission projects see:
ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm

The information given above is the sole responsibility of Global Initiative on Psychiatry and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.