MFP Model Presented at the XIV World Congress on Psychiatry
The historic city of Prague in the Czech Republic is home to Charles University, the oldest university in central and eastern Europe, the Jewish Quarter, known for being the site of one of the few Jewish cemeteries that was not destroyed by the Nazi’s, Old Town Square, site of the Astronomical Clock where tourists gather every hour for the bell to toll and the procession of the 12 apostles, and the Prague Castle, the largest ancient castle in the world. However, perhaps the most relevant historical fact for the XIV World Congress of Psychiatry conference is that Prague lies 300 km from the birthplace of Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis in whose honor a statue was erected in Prague to commemorate the 150th anniversary of his birth.
The conference was sponsored by the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) and took place at the Prague Conference Center. The six day conference, entitled: “Science and Humanism: For a Person-Centered Psychiatry” included speakers representing more than 50 countries from North and South America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. More than 6000 mental health professionals attended sessions that addressed neuropsychiatric care, suicide, genetics, person-centered care, mental health and HIV/AIDS, the use of psychotherapy, and global mental health issues pertaining to natural disasters, trauma, and war to name a few.
On Thursday, September 25, 2008, Dr. Hossein Yarandi, Ms. Janet Jackson, and Dr. Michelle DeCoux Hampton represented the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association when they presented the topic: “A Road Map to Success: Models for Educating Ethnic Minority Nurses in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services in the United States of America.” Dr. Yarandi gave an overview of racial disparities in health care, Ms. Jackson discussed the academic requirements for the program, and Dr. Hampton reviewed the MFP model and outcomes.
Other speakers in the session included Dr. Anahid Kulwicki from the United States who discussed “Domestic Violence Risk Assessment for Arab American Women”, Dr. Lars Kjellin from Sweden who presented “Impact of Coercion on Short-Term Outcome of Inpatient Psychiatric Care,” and Dr. Ali El-Ghorr who spoke about “The Development and Implementation of National Standards for Integrated Care Pathways in Scotland.” An interesting discourse followed between the speakers and audience about disparities in care, education, and health service delivery.
The existence and high participation in the conference speaks to the universal nature of mental health and illness and the challenges we all face as mental health care providers and researchers throughout the world. Conferences such as this serve to inform, motivate, and reenergize ourselves to continue to search for best practices in the treatment of individuals with mental illness and substance abuse problems. The challenge ahead is to work locally to develop effective strategies to promote mental health and minimize disability caused by mental illness and substance abuse and to share that knowledge on a national and global level.
Submitted by: Michelle DeCoux Hampton, PhD, RN, 11/3/2008
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