2006 Annual Conference

19th to 21st October 2006
Seville, Spain
19th CEFEC Conference

THE SOCIAL ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT
OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

CEFEC, together with FAISEM (The Andalusian Foundation For The Social Integration Of The Mentally Ill), and with the support of the Andalusian government, were the organisers of the 19th CEFEC Conference, which was held in Seville, Spain from 19 – 21 October 2006.

About The Organisers

FAISEM is a public Foundation created in 1993 by the Regional government of Andalusia, as an instrument for providing social support resources to mentally ill people in this region of southern Spain.
The Psychiatric Reform in Andalusia, which started in 1984, has allowed the closure of the public psychiatric hospitals and the creation of a new community based and oriented public health network. This development has contributed to changing the way in which people with severe mental health problems, which previously suffered centuries of social exclusion, are treated. In coordination with the community mental health services (integrated in the general health system), FAISEM provides social support programmes to help people with mental health problems to live in the community as regular citizens. 
Its programmes include housing, occupational and recreational facilities and of course, employment initiatives: vocational orientation and training, Social Firms and supported employment programmes. FAISEM and its specific support structure for Social Firms (IDEA, SA) is one of the leading organisations in this field in Spain. 

The Conference Programme

The title of the conference was "The Social Economy and employment of people with mental health problems".  Its aims were to:

• give to our users, workers and professionals an overview of the situation in different countries from Europe;
• improve employment programmes for people with mental health problems;
• increase the visibility of CEFEC as a useful organisation in this field in Spain;
• bring to the CEFEC members the opportunity to have an overview of the present situation in the Andalusia region and the rest of Spain in the field of employment initiatives for people with mental health problems;
• discuss the role of Social Firms and other alternative forms  of  work integration for people with mental health problems.
• cover the traditional issues associated with CEFEC conferences, followed by a discussion about the specific needs of people with severe mental health problems and the different strategies that they need to find employment

Report on the 19th CEFEC Conference, Seville, Spain
THE SOCIAL ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. (SEVILLE 19-21 OCTOBER 2006)
Marcelino López, Psychiatrist. Sociologist
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