Caregiving Project

Person-Centred Technology; Employment

Regional; Greece

Individuals with mental health conditions are often not empowered with the opportunity for self-determination or employment opportunities. The Caregiving project by IASIS NGO aims to provide pre-vocational training to beneficiaries undergoing treatment in mental health rehabilitation units. Employing a peer-to-peer methodology, the comprehensive training programme empowers 
individuals with mental health conditions to participate in weekly sessions, emphasising pre-vocational development as nursing assistants. Upon completing the training, participants will receive support to enter the workforce either as nursing assistants in limited liability social cooperatives or take on the role of a peer supporter within the mental health unit.

The programme enhances professional readiness, instilling key skills for easy adaptation to diverse workplaces. It emphasises improving social skills, fostering collaboration and relationships, nurturing self-awareness, inner growth, and goal achievement. Emotional well-being tools are provided, and discriminative thinking is cultivated through analytical skills. This significantly enhances services for individuals with mental health conditions by treating them equally as both learners and peer supporters. This approach meets their needs, fostering a supportive environment and improving overall service quality. Emphasising skill development, self-awareness, and peer support. 
A key learning from expansion is that scaling up requires not only replicating the curriculum but also strengthening support systems for transition into employment. Developing stronger employer engagement and formalising peer-support roles has proven essential steps to ensure sustainability and real-world impact. 

90 individuals with mental health conditions, of whom 65% have gone on to establish peer support roles within their rehabilitation units and 15% have successfully transitioned into employment opportunities. Looking ahead, the programme is set to expand to reach 200 participants, both from within IASIS and from external organisations, further broadening its impact and transferability.

A training curriculum is being crafted for wider adoption, with professionals documenting crucial observations to facilitate transferability. Project success is tracked through regular assessments of beneficiaries' well-being and soft skills, overseen by experienced Mental Health Unit staff. 

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