Within the Greek Reform Framework for Mental Health and the Program “Psychargos”, the establishment, organization and operation of the Units “Thalpos Attica” and “Thalpos Kalamata” were the cornerstone of “Thalpos-Mental Health” Organization.
They are Psychosocial Rehabilitation Units of living quarters type and with a high level of protection, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. They are accommodating people with serious mental illnesses and related disturbances 24h a day and they are emphasizing on the personal psychosocial development of the guests, the education, the hospitalization and the occupation.
The Units are structured, organized, developed and operated on the basis of the principles of sectorization, community Psychiatry, outpatient care, continuance of psychiatric care as well as information and voluntary assistance to the Community for the promotion of mental health.
“Thalpos” Units are developed by health professionals with many years of experience in the private and public sector and provide specialized and certified by the Ministry of Health services to support patients, their families and their caregivers, on the basis of the relevant establishment and operation licenses as well as the Rules of Procedure of the “Thalpos-Mental Health” Organization.
The vision of the Organization reinforces the basic operation principle of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Units with the harmonization of everyday life in the Unit with the pace of social reality.
Rehabilitation objectives of the operation of the Units
The main rehabilitation objectives of the operation of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Units are:
a) the improvement of the social competencies of people with mental disorders by increasing their social skills
b) the constant improvement of the quality of life and the autonomous functionality of their incapacities and their handicaps
c) the assurance of the quality of life and the independent living in the community
d) the decrease of the stigma and the discriminations and
e) the assurance of the quality of the care for people with mental disorders.
Furthermore and in addition to the above:
- the assurance and the implementation of the rules of collective living that shall be governed by mutual respect, specified limits and equality
- the supported management of the personal time and space of the tenants
- the harmonization of everyday life in the institution with the pace of social reality
- the development of individual and group activities promoting the mobilization, the empowerment and the socialization of the tenants
- the psychosocial support of the tenants through individual and group meetings with the members of the Multidisciplinary Therapeutic Group
- at a later stage, and wherever feasible, the possibility of integration in structures of protected work and transition in guest houses and protected apartments.
The implementation of the fundamental and the individual objectives is realized with:
a) the continuing and stable implementation of programs that motivate the individual to obtain its maximum possible level of functionality
b) The development of programs that provide opportunities for education to these individuals
c) programs and activities promoting and assisting the individual to obtain the ability to criticize and evaluate the actions and services provided to it
d) actions that assist the individual to claim and exercise its legal, political and social rights
e) action programs for the development of cooperation with volunteers and associations
f) programs for raising awareness and informing the community on the combat of the mental disease stigma, the information on the community forms of care for people with mental disorders and the recognition of their rights.