Mental Health Links
NGOs, Non-profit Organizations, Associations
AED-SatelLife (www.satellife.org)
AED-SATELLIFE strengthens the global health community by facilitating dialogue and disseminating relevant information on the world’s most urgent health topics.
ARAP – Association for the Reform of Psychiatric Assistance (www.arap.it)
ARAP was founded in Italy in 1981 by the families and friends of patients with a mental illness with the intention of bringing about corrections to certain points of the Law 180 in order to obtain real help, assistance and to resolve the main problem: bringing help to patients unwilling to seek medical assistance.
Asociaciòn Mexicana para Ayuda Mental en Crisis (www.amamecrisis.com.mx)
Group of mental health professionals, trained in modern and efficient approaches, aiming at preventing and treating psychological trauma.
BMHA – Bangladeshi Mental Health Association (www.wordsmith.demon.co.uk/bmha)
Association providing assistance and relief to mentally ill Bangladeshi people resident in the UK and related communities and promoting awareness initiatives on mental health related issues.
BasicNeeds (http://www.basicneeds.org/index.asp)
BasicNeeds is an international development charity which works to build a better world with mentally ill people. BasicNeeds believes that mental health is a right, not a privilege. For millions of mentally ill people around the world, this is not the case. For them, mental illness is a world of poverty, stigma and isolation. “BasicNeeds transforms lives by working with mentally ill people so that together, we can build a world that mentally ill people feel proud to live in”.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law (www.bazelon.org)
The mission of the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is to protect and advance the rights of adults and children who have mental disabilities. The Center envisions an America where people who have mental illnesses or developmental disabilities exercise their own life choices and have access to the resources that enable them to participate fully in their communities.
Canadian Mental Health Association (www.cmha.ca)
A nation-wide, charitable organization that promotes the mental health of all and supports the resilience and recovery of people experiencing mental illness.
CACF – Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (www.cacf.org)
The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), the nation’s only pan-Asian children’s advocacy organization, aims to improve the health and well-being of Asian Pacific American children and families in New York City.
CCD – Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (www.c-c-d.org)
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities is a coalition of approximately 100 national disability organizations working together to advocate for national public policy that ensures the self determination, independence, empowerment, integration and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society.
Center for mental health services (www.mentalhealth.org)
The US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Mental Health Information Center provides information about mental health. It was developed for users of mental health services and their families, the general public, policy makers, providers, and the media.
Exclusion (www.exclusion.net)
A network of hundreds of adherents all over the world organising themselves, building initiatives and fighting against social exclusion.
EUFAMI – European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (www.eufami.org)
EUFAMI is a democratic organisation, registered in Belgium as an international non-profit organisation committed to improving care and welfare for people affected by mental illness.
ISMHO – International Society for Mental Health Online (www.ismho.org)
The International Society for Mental Health Online (ISMHO) was formed in 1997 to promote the understanding, use and development of online communication, information and technology for the international mental health community.
MHA – Mental Health America (www.nmha.org)
Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) is the country’s leading non-profit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives.
Mental Health Association (www.mentalhealth.org.au)
Australian non-profit association envisaging communities in which all people are provided with opportunities to optimise their mental health and participate as valued members of society.
Mental Health Association of Hong Kong (www.mhahk.org.hk)
Founded in 1954 as a study group with the primary objective of educating the public on mental health, the Association at present has a membership of about 200, consisting mostly of professional workers from many human service disciplines such as psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurses, lecturers, professors and social workers promoting the study of basic principles of mental health and their application in Hong Kong.
Mental Health Foundation (www.mentalhealth.org.uk)
Founded in 1949, the Mental Health Foundation is a leading UK charity that provides information, carries out research, campaigns and works to improve services for anyone affected by mental health problems, whatever their age and wherever they live.
MHWWB – Mental Health Workers Without Borders (http://www.mhwwb.org)
An international, not-for profit, non-governmental network of activist psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, counselors, and other mental health workers who encourage family- and community-based, psychosocial approaches to mental health problems.
MIND (www.mind.org.uk)
Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, working to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress.
MSF – Médecins Sans Frontières (www.msf.org)
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organisation that provides emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 70 countries.
NAMI – National Alliance for the Mental Illness (www.nami.org)
It is the USA’s largest grassroots organization for people with mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has affiliates in every state and in more than 1,100 local communities across the country. NAMI is dedicated to the eradication of mental illnesses and to the improvement of the quality of life for persons of all ages who are affected by mental illnesses.
NASMPHD – National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (www.nasmhpd.org)
US organization representing state executives responsible for the $29.5 billion public mental health service delivery system serving 6.1 million people annually in all 50 states, 4 territories, and the District of Columbia. NASMHPD serves as the national representative and advocate for state mental health agencies and their directors and supports effective stewardship of state mental health systems.
SAMH – Scottish Association for Mental Health (www.samh.org.uk)
SAMH, Scotland’s leading mental health charity, works to support people who experience mental health problems, homelessness, addictions and other forms of social exclusion.
The Arc (www.thearc.org)
The Arc is the world’s largest community based organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides an array of services and support for families and individuals.
WFSAD – World Fellowship for Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders (www.world-schizophrenia.org)
The only global grassroots organization dedicated to lightening the burden of schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses for sufferers and their families.
Intergovernmental Institutions
World Health Organization (www.who.int)
WHO/Mental Health (http://www.who.int/topics/mental_health/en/)
Cittadinanza’s Partners
Fondazione Shen Asti (www.shenasti.com)
Shen Asti Foundation mainly aims at organizing professional training courses for young people, women and all disadvantaged groups, in order to provide them with technical and professional skills and give them the chance to start an income-generating activity in their own communities.
Among the courses organized, it is worth mentioning the course financed by the Provincia di Rimini addressed to the mentally disabled adolescents and children of Berat Day Centre, in Albania, which is being supported and managed by Cittadinanza since 2002 in cooperation with Shen Asti Foundation.
SCARF – Schizophrenia Research Foundation (http://www.scarfindia.org/)
SCARF is the acronym for the Schizophrenia Research Foundation, a non governmental, non profit organization in Chennai, formerly Madras, India, which since 1984 has committed itself to schizophrenia care and research. Founded by a group of philanthropists and mental health professionals led by Dr. M. Sarada Menon, an internationally known psychiatrist, SCARF has established itself as a center of repute in rehabilitation and research. The present team led by the Director Dr. R. Thara is composed of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, rehab personnel, administrative and support staff.
SCARF is a premier non governmental organisation in India to have dedicated its services towards a better future for the mentally ill .
