2023-05-17 14:58:42
The past, present and future of the associative movement, the main theme of the second day of the Congress
The second day of the XXII MENTAL HEALTH SPAIN Congress dedicated a space to the history of the associative movement.
The XXII MENTAL HEALTH SPAIN Congress continued throughout today, May 17, dedicating ample space to the history of the associative movement.
Both days of the congress have the collaboration of the Ministry of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda and the ONCE Foundation.
The meeting, moderated by the acts and writer Damián Alcolea, was divided into three tables, dedicated to the past, present and future of the associative network.
First table: Past of the associative movement
The first will discuss the past of the associative movement. In it, they participated carmen garciapresident of the La Rioja Mental Health Association, Rose Ruiz, former manager of FEAFES (currently SALUD MENTAL ESPAÑA), José Mª Sánchezhonorary president of SALUD MENTAL ESPAÑA, Begoñe ArinoPROSPECT facilitator, and Antonio Lozanopresident of Feafes Salud Mental Extremadura.
Carmen García told how women were the first promoters of the associative movement in the region. She brought health reform and families “They wanted them to respond to the needs that existed at that time because the asylums disappeared. What alternatives were there? None. We are suffering these deficiencies now”. Garcia explained how she started in the associative movement for a sister who went through postpartum depression, although at that time there was a “total ignorance” that it was a mental health problem.
Begoñe Ariño, for her part, began her career in the associative movement in AVIFES and ended up being president of EUFAMI. She connected with other families in Europe and saw that other countries were more advanced and had more resources. “I learned a lot from other countries, I saw that we all had the same problem. That’s where the PROSPECT came from”. Ariño indicated that his great satisfaction is “to see so many affected people fully involved in associations. The family is still the weakest. They have to get more involved and empowered, realize that they can be part of the solution”.
Rosa Ruiz explained that FEAFES Siglo XXI “it was a before and an after”. Regarding the alliances that were carried out with other entities, Ruiz determines that they are “essential”. He explained that, at first, it was difficult because “the other actors on the scene saw us as the eternal strangers, those who had not existed in society. It was difficult for us to find a place in the social landscape.
“Help for everyone is help for me. Therefore, if we help each other, it will be better for each one”, assured José Mª Sánchez. He also defended the need to recognize work in the third sector: “I understand volunteering, but the responsibility of the worker has to be compensated with a decent salary”. Regarding the Involuntary Outpatient Treatment (TAI), he assured that it supposes a violation of rights and it is necessary to propose alternatives.
As Antonio Lozano explained, “families were used to the person entering and staying there for life. The person was not cared for, the pathology was treated as another number”. Lozano highlighted that the entities have become “in management associations and committed to the public system to guarantee rights, but also to manage”.
Second table: Present of the associative movement
In the second table, dedicated to the present of the associative movement, will participate Gonzalo Nielfavice president of the Valencian Community Mental Health Federation, Francisco Vincent Rubiomember of Mental Health Catalonia, Adela Montanorepresentative of the State Network of Women MENTAL HEALTH SPAIN, Paula Garcia, technician at AMAFE, expert in suicide prevention and Yasmina Alonsodirector of the Canary Islands Mental Health Federation.
Francisco Vicente Rubio denounced that there is still a lot of stigma and self-stigma in mental health. “We are in the base camp, now we have to climb the mountain“, he claimed. Francisco explained that the compañeros and compañeras of the associative movement “They have shown me that I was worth it. For me PROSPECT was a before and after”.
For Gonzalo Nielfa the most important of the associative movement “It’s that I went from absolutely nothing, except my relationship with my family, to having friends for the first time. That is for me the most important element that the associative movement has”. Gonzalo assured that “we have gained rights, and by gaining rights, we have enough strength to assume responsibilities that allow us to be freer”.
Paula García explains that from AMAFE they conceive employment “as a necessary tool in recovery, not only in inclusion but also in social participation. We attend to the needs and differences of each person, because everyone is different”. García also commented on the importance of preventing suicide and denounced the lack of means, training and financial resources to deal with this problem.
In the opinion of Yasmina Alonso, in the associative movement it has passed “to make decisions for the protagonists, to accompany them”. Alonso reflected that it has happened “from a more assistance and care system, where the voice of the people was not taken into account, to being next to, or even behind”. Furthermore, he pointed out to himself, “there has been a lot of resistance, even from professionals”.
Adela Montaño spoke about the double stigma suffered by women with mental health problems: “You cannot afford to fail because you are a woman and much more is expected of you. History owes us years of recognition, experiences, voice and listening. To participate and to be”.
Third table: Future of the associative movement
In the third and last table of this space, dedicated to the future of the network, will intervene Mercè Torrentallépresident of the Catalonia Mental Health Federation, Elizabeth Lemosrepresentative of the State Network of Women MENTAL HEALTH SPAIN and Karina Rochatechnical excoordinator of FEAFES (currently SALUD MENTAL ESPAÑA).
Mercè Torrentallé recounted that, when leaving her first admission, she gave her “fear and shame” go out into the street. “But when at school they began to marginalize my daughter by telling her that she had no judgment because her mother was crazy, instead of sinking me, this made me react and I wrote my first book.”. From there, Torrentallé became involved in the associative movement. “All institutions have to collaborate with mental health: justice, culture, education, territorial policies, etc.”, he claimed.
Elisabet Lemos explained what the associative movement means to her: “It has given me the light I needed and a space in which I have felt useful and valued, in which I can be myself without needing to be judged. She has improved my self-esteem and I have empowered myself ”. Furthermore, he stated that, “by becoming a role model by helping other people, you feel like you are helping yourself”. Regarding the future of the State Women’s Network, Lemos highlighted her work and believes that there is “It must be the beacon that guides all territories and associations”.
Karina Rocha, defended that “feminism is equal opportunities for men and women. I would appeal to the associative movement, to women in the first person, caregivers, boards of directors… so that the positioning is feminist and we introduce the feminist perspective without fear”. Rocha also opined that it is necessary to “breaking barriers” because, otherwise, “it is very difficult for us to really encourage real participation”.
Modernization of the associative movement and strategic plan
After a break, the last table of the congress began. In it, they participated Lara Bernaltrainer and facilitator of Visual Materia, Alfonso SerranoTechnical Director of Organizational Development and Quality at SALUD MENTAL ESPAÑA, and Jorge PelegrinOrganizational Development and Quality technician of the Confederation.
Serrano took a tour of the achievements of the lines of the 2019-2022 Strategic Plan: line 1 (Political influence, claim and defense of Human Rights), line 2 (Brand, awareness and social impact), line 3 (Governance and associative life and personal development), line 4 (Economic sustainability), line 5 (Management and services) and line 6 (Innovation). Serrano also pointed out the importance of the Confederation’s work being aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda.
Subsequently, the Project “Impulse to the modernization of the associative movement SALUD MENTAL ESPAÑA for the digital transformation”, which will be carried out thanks to the financing of the Ministry of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda, within the call for support for the modernization of Third Sector entities, under the European Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Fund.
In this project, entities will be provided with technological tools for their digital transformation process, good practices and learning will be shared, and expert entities in digital transformation will be available, in addition to monitoring reports.
Pelegrín explained the main lines of the project. Among them is the digital transformation strategy to assess the digital maturity of entities. The good use of quality data will be promoted. The support and participation of the social base will also be promoted through a platform. Lastly, increase the digital skills of professionals.
To close the Congress, Nel González Zapicopresident of the SALUD MENTAL ESPAÑA Confederation, highlighted the “consensus and determination on the part of all the organizations that have participated in these two days, so as not to allow a single step back in the progress we have made”. He encouraged to continue working “in the defense of our rights and in denouncing inequalities, discrimination and violations”.
He called for greater investment in public resources for mental health care and “effective, humanistic community care, in which the needs of the person with a mental health problem and their family are at the center”. And he ended up remembering: “No containment is therapeutic, no violation of rights is therapeutic and what is therapeutic is freedom”.
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