1992

 
2017

PROGRAM  EN   -  PROGRAM  PT  -  PRACTICAL INFORMATION   -  STUDY VISITS   -   PARTICIPANTS   -   AIM CONFERENCE 

Dear Colleague,

                             SMES-Europa, together with the Centro Hospitalar Psiquiátrico de Lisboa and with the support of many local Institutions and Organisations*,  warmly invites you and the Colleagues especially involved in the social and health field working for people living in extreme poverty conditions and  suffering of mental health problems, to actively participate in preparing and realising the XIV European SMES Conference: “Dignity and Well-being: t o g e t h e r, exchange for changing”: which will be held in Lisbon  on  16-17-18  March 2017.

25 YEARS AGO,  December 1992  the 1^st European Seminar SMES in Rome focused attention on “Mentally ill people at risk of homelessness” .   TODAY this risk is reality: more and more people with mental health problems,  rough sleeping. 

15 YEARS AGO,  October 2002 the 7^th European SMES seminar in Lisbon especially emphasize the word “Exchange for changng”, for pathways synergetic.  TODAY – unfortunately -  ‘co-working’ more than a reality, is a good intention, especially at the institutional level. 

25 Years after, again in Lisbon, SMES Europa, is co-working with Municipality, Santa Casa de la Misericordia, Psychiatric Hospital Centre,  National Program for Mental Health, and more than 22 other Associations, co-working under a single umbrella ‘NPISA’, SMES-Europa propose again to focus our attention on co-working: we don’t need – today – in multiply the services , we absolutely needs of:

• TOGETHER  carefully listening the voice expressed or not, of home-less – health-less – hope-less, living in chronically way, in scandalous conditions absolute social and health exclusion, deprivation conditions.

• TOGETHER coherently & efficiently responding to people in specially way facilitating access of this person to their fundamental rights and global needs;

• TOGETHER to identify  some innovative and effective practices; to recommend absolute priorities in social & health policy and project 

 To these 2 questions we would invite you especially to answer,  preparing this XIV European Seminar

1. WHY some homeless people - with mental health problems - rough sleeping in permanent way or in emergency centres and squats - despite the proposed services and facilities promoted - giving the impression that they refuse any institutional offer of assistance and integration ?
    

2. HOW YOUR SERVICE, co-working with other sectors and services, contribute to promotion of the dignity and well-being  reducing all barriers and facilitating the access for each one to Services of   

   • ASSISTANCE   for CARE and assistance of primarily needs;

   • HEALTH for CURE: Hospital Institution & Services in Community

   • HOUSING   for HOME : find again privacy & identity at different level

   • PARTICIPATION  in  CITIZENSHIP  for recognising and inclusion in community

Dignity & well-being  and  Fundamental Right & Solidarity are the keywords, which were oriented - from le1992 - the social mission and initiatives of SMES Europa.

We count in your active collaboration to continue,  to perform at best this initiative in favour of people living and suffering in extreme social & health poverty and exclusion conditions in the streets , in the shelters, squat everywhere.   Thank you for your collaboration.  For further information, please not hesitate to contact us

Sincerely

  Luigi Leonori                                                                             Antonio Bento
  SMES Europa President                                                               Psychiatrist Director LPHC
 

*  This initiative will be realised with the support of these local institutions:
Lisbon Municipality, Lisbon Psychiatric Hospital Center, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, National Mental Health Program and with NPISA (Unit of Planning and Intervention for Homeless People composed of 22 Associations working together).