First Information session in Belgrade

The Оpen Call for Proposals “Support for de-institutionalization and social inclusion of persons with mental disability and mental illness” with total budget of EUR 2.55 million aiming to improve social inclusion of persons with disabilities and mental disorders was presented at the first Information session held on August 1, 2013 in Media Centre in Belgrade.

Introductory speeches were given by Prof. Dr. Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, Minister of Health of Republic of Serbia, Adriano Martins, Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia and Brankica Jankovic, State Secretary of Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Policy.

Prof. Dr. Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, Minister of Health said that people with mental disabilities are often discriminated in society, even left by their family, and remain in psychiatric hospitals for months or years. It is intended in Serbia to raise the level of services of care of this people at the local level when they return to their communities from specialized institutions, Minister added.

According to figures from the Ministry of Health, out of 158 primary health centres in Serbia, in 74 of them psychiatrists are employed and it is planned to have more psychiatrists or at least the general practitioners should be further educated to recognize mental disabilities.

Adriano Martins, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia welcomed efforts of the Serbian Government in the field of deinstitutionalization of persons with mental disabilities, adding that the projects should provide direct support to people with mental disabilities. “Since 2000 the EU has donated EUR 144 million to support social sector and EUR 147 million was donated in health sector,” recalled Martins.

Brankica Jankovic, State Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Policy stressed that the priority of these activities is to reduce the number of people with mental disabilities in residential institutions. “We are aware that conditions in these institutions sometimes are not worth of human dignity,” said Stankovic. She expressed hope that the projects that will be implemented with EU support will contribute to improve such situation. Jankovic added that people with mental disabilities are the most discriminated and that prevention of their further institutionalization must be taken.

It is estimated that in the World about half a billion people suffer from some form of mental illness, while in Serbia there is between 300,000 and 400,000 persons with mental illnesses.

During second part of the session, Aleksandra Calosevic, Grant scheme Expert presented Open Call for Proposals and with Ana Milenic, Programme Manager of the EU Delegation in Serbia and Marjan Gabriel, Procurement Officer of the EU Delegation answered questions of the participants.

More than 100 representatives of health and social institutions, local-self governments, non-governmental organizations attended the sessions. With supported projects they will be able develop community based services to support deinstitutionalisation of persons with mental disabilities and mental health disorders as well as transformation of institutions in line with their transformation plans.

The grants awarded selected projects will be between EUR 50.000 and EUR 200.000 while the duration of supported projects is between 10 and 18 months. The deadline for submitting applications expires on October 31, 2013.

The Information sessions will be also held from 5 – 9 August in Novi Sad, Subotica, Kraljevo, Vranje and Nis.