We attend the first General Assembly of JA PRISM in Rome

The meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of the first year of this European mental health project, coordinated by Biosistemak.

On 22 and 23 September, Rome hosted the first General Assembly of JA PRISM (Prevention Oriented Rights-based Approach to Support Mental Health in Vulnerable Population Groups), a European Joint Action funded by the EU4Health programme to improve the mental health of the most vulnerable groups.

The meeting, held at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), brought together representatives from the 59 organisations in the consortium, from 20 European countries, to review the progress made during the project’s first year and to define the next lines of work.

The first day saw the participation of representatives from DG SANTE, HaDEA and members of the JA PRISM Advisory Board, comprising leading organisations such as the WHO, the OECD, UNICEF, ENUSP, the Trimbos Institute and GAMIAN. In addition, specific sessions were held for each of the practices being transferred and implemented as part of the project.

The second day focused on reviewing the progress made across the various work packages and on planning the activities scheduled for the coming months.

 Progress on the transfers from BIZI and ABC

As the coordinating organisation for JA PRISM, Biosistemak leads the management and governance of the project, as well as directing two of its main lines of work.

On the one hand, it coordinates the transfer of BIZI, the suicide prevention programme developed by Osakidetza and the Basque Government’s Public Health Directorate, which was selected by the European Commission as a promising practice in mental health. On the other hand, it leads the transfer of Act, Belong, Commit (ABC), an initiative aimed at promoting the emotional wellbeing of children and young people.

During the General Assembly, the Biosistemak team shared the progress made in both lines of work and facilitated discussions with the teams responsible for their implementation in the various participating countries.

The project’s next major meeting will take place during the European Public Health Conference (EPH Conference), to be held in Bilbao from 10 to 13 November. As part of this event, JA PRISM will organise an international workshop in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and the European Commission.