MHEALTH4ALL (Mental Health for All) brings together leading academics and non-academics - linguists, clinical and social psychologists, communication scientists, migrant and healthcare provider organisations, public service interpreters - and will develop, implement, and evaluate a sustainable digital information and communication platform. The platform, which is evidence-based, multilingual and culture-sensitive, is meant to enhance access to mental healthcare for third-country nationals with low language proficiency in the host country’s language, and this across various European healthcare settings.
The three-year project (January 2022 - December 2024) is led by the University of Amsterdam (Prof. Dr. Barbara Schouten). The action has three interrelated objectives following a bottom-up approach.
to bring together academics, civil society stakeholders, healthcare providers and policy makers through networking activities and an online platform.
to map both existing language support resources for third-country nationals in mental healthcare and identify barriers, needs and strategies in accessing mental healthcare services on a micro, meso and macrolevel.
to evaluate innovative multilingual communication strategies to mitigate obstacles and promote access to mental healthcare for third-country nationals with low language proficiency.
Update
The 1st meeting of the MHealth4All project took place from 30th June to 1st July 2022 at the University of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid, Spain). The event, which was held in a hybrid format, offered a space for partners to share updates and propose discussion topics about the project, with a special emphasis on existing language resources in mental healthcare.
EU-WEBPSI
EUWEBPSI aims to develop and test an innovative EU-wide web portal for information exchange and online collaboration between stakeholders involved in providing and using quality WEBcam Public Service Interpreting. EUWEBPSI wants to tackle a double challenge: (1) the lack of a unified framework of minimal standards for PSI services, which leads to unequal access to basic services across the EU and across types of public services; (2) the mismatch between interpreter supply and interpreter demand requires more flexible solutions to enhance interpreting capacity, in particular in situations of urgency and for languages of lesser diffusion (LLDs).
In line with these challenges, the project comprises 3 objectives:
to design of a common framework of minimum quality standards of (WEB)PSI competence, training and accreditation in combination with development of information and learning materials accessible through the web portal.
the design and development of WEBPSI interpreting solutions across national boundaries and facilitated through the web portal.
strengthening of the interpreting capacity of WEBPSI for LLDs by training 60 applicants for international protection and recently recognised refugees into qualified community interpreters for 8 language combinations, enabling them to interpret across national boundaries.
The project aspires to guarantee quality language services and access for third-country nationals to fundamental services and resources. Its focus on quality and flexibility benefits all actors engaged in PSI services, viz. service providers, interpreters, interpreter trainers and TCNs.
This three-year project (September 2022 – August 2025) is led by Ghent University (Prof. Dr. July De Wilde and Prof. Dr. Katrijn Maryns) and involves a multi-stakeholder partnership between asylum reception authorities (RA), organisations involved in interpreter training & certification (OITC), university partners and ENPSIT. ENPSIT’s role is fundamental in two ways: during the project, ENPSIT will contribute to the development of harmonized public service interpreting, interpreter training, assessment, and certification across the EU. After completion of the project, ENPSIT will give continuity to the web portal that will be developed and thereby ensure long-term impact of the project resources.
Update
The kick-off meeting of the research project EU-WEBPSI was held on Friday 23 September at KU Leuven's Brussels Campus. A perfect place for all Consortium partners to get to know each other, agree on fundamentals and dive into the first work packages. A fruitful day for a promising project!