As a part of the B&H Mental Health Project, the Agency for Certification, Accreditation and Health Care Improvement of the Republic of Srpska is undertaking activities on achieving the C1 goal related to improvement of understanding of managers of primary health centres (DZ) and social welfare centres on importance and role of mental health centres within DZ organizational structure and establishment of better cooperation between mental health centres and other DZ medical services, other relevant sectors and local community.
The first series of seminars with subject “The Importance and Role of Mental Health Centres within DZ” was organised in December 2010 in three regional centres (Istocno Sarajevo, Teslic and Banja Luka) with participation of representatives of mental health centres, primary health centres, social welfare centres and psychiatric clinics. An initial research with specially designed questionnaire to meet the Project need was done during the seminar and will be used to create further project program.
The next series of seminars will be organised on June 17, 2011 in Banja Luka, June 21, 2011 in Trebinje and June 27, 2011 in Teslic. Based on the report on the initial research and its recommendations on following activities, a program of this series will include a presentation of the initial research report, presentation of examples of good practice of mental health centre’s work and intra- and inter-sector cooperation with other DZ medical services and institutions as well as a lecture on mental health care state in the Republic of Srpska and different mental illnesses. The participants will form working groups and practically work on creating cooperation protocols based on already successfully applied protocols.