TΗRACE SERVICES / NORTHERN GREECE
Mobile Psychiatric Units
The Mobile Psychiatric Unit of Thrace began its operation in 1989 and covers the mental health services needs of the Mental Health Sector of the Prefecture of Evros (covering the towns of Alexandroupolis, Orestiada-Dikea, Soufli-Tychero and Didymotiho) and the Mental Health Sector of the Prefecture of Rodopi (covering the towns of Komotini and Sapes).
The Services provided by the Mobile Psychiatric Units include prevention and care services, special care at home, as well as psychosocial rehabilitation and community sensitization activities in the aforementioned towns and other hard to reach areas of Northern Greece. More specifically, the services provided include the following:
• Early diagnosis – intervention for the prevention of mental illness and possible relapses;
• At home crisis intervention;
• At home care for monitoring the illness and ensuring the continuity of the care provided;
• Helping patients cover their personal needs, such as taking the necessary medication and developing their personal and social skills, with the aim of achieving autonomous living;
• Programmes for the housing, vocational training and work rehabilitation of patients. Special emphasis is placed on helping patients to return to the work they had before their illness (e.g. in a local factory, local farm etc);
• Community Sensitisation Programmes regarding mental illness, in order to achieve the local community’s participation in the services described above;
• Aiding the patients to have access to Health and Administartive Services, including Psychiatric Services. This is achieved through a close co-operation with the University Clinics (psychiatric, pedopsychiatric etc) of the Alexandroupoli Prefecture General Hospital, the Hospital of Komotini and the relevant units of the National Health Service;
• Support – Consultation services for the family of the patient;
• Consultation at the places that the patient normally visits (neighborhood, patient’s workplace).
ALEXANDROUPOLI RESIDENTIAL HOUSES
Two residential houses operate in Alexandroupoli, established in 2002 and 2003 respectively, which can house up to 15 members each. The therapists’ work is focused on the following priorities: the development of personal and social skills, the members’ systematic contact with friends and relatives through regular visits to their place of origin, the houses’ networking with other community services and rehabilitation structures.
PROTECTED APARTMENTS
7 protected apartments operate in Alexandroupoli covering the needs of twenty members. The basic characteristics of these apartments are the following:
• The apartments house 1 to 6 members each, both male and female;
• The members’ ages are between 28 and 79 years and they mainly come from the Prefecture of Evros;
• There are 3 apartments of increased care cover, one of medium cover and three of low cover.
The services provided to the members living in the apartments include:
• The development of personal and social skills for independent living;
• Psychological support of members and their families;
• Psychotherapeutic care and pharmaceutical cover;
• Networking and communication with other community rehabilitation services (e.g. Adult Day Centre, productive workshop, pre and vocational training programme, socialization team, community sensitization group) in order to cover holistically the members needs;
• The scientific team working with members of the apartments includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, an external supervisor, nurses, hostesses and other assisting staff.
PRE & VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME – WORK AT THE FARM
The pre- and vocational training programme involves agricultural work at the farm undertaken by members living at the hostel and at the protected apartments, as well as the local community.
In parallel, a variety of activities are organized such as educational trips, summer holidays and visits to various areas of Evros.
The programme is designed to cover the socialization and employment needs of each member and offers the following:
• On the field training in agricultural work
• Development of the members’ skills and abilities in order to assist their autonomous living
• Ensuring the co-operation and networking of each member with other relevant services in order to cover their specific needs
• Informing and educating the local community in order to combat the stigma associated with mental illness and the subsequent social exclusion of people with mental health problems.