Capacity-Building - Publications and Reports
Capacity-Building and Mental Health
Disability Capacity Building
General Resources
Monitoring and Reporting
Networking/Coalition-Building
Capacity-Building and Mental Health
Consistencies and Inconsistencies: Mental Health, Compulsory Treatment and Community Capacity Building in England, Wales and Australia (2006), an article by Barbara Fawcett, explores the policy surrounding mental health and compulsory intervention in Australia, England, and Wales. With regard to social work practice, it is argued that a response to mental illness which concentrates on an individualized "diagnose and treat" approach, especially at times of compulsory intervention, has limited capacity to facilitate community engagement, foster social inclusion, and generate reciprocal dynamics between positive mental health and community capacity building. The abstract is available free of charge.
Family Member and Natural Support Participation in Mental Health Services Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation (2005), is a policy document prepared by Manitoba Health in consultation with the Provincial Mental Health Advisory Council (PMHAC), which is composed primarily of consumers and family members. It builds on the work that was done during the process of reform of mental health services in Manitoba since 1988, and aims to provide direction to Regional Health Authorities (RHA's) in the development of their plans for meaningful family member and natural support participation.
This is Your Life! Creating Your Self-Directed Life Plan (2004), by the National Research & Training Center on Psychiatric Disability isDisability is an easy-to-use workbook to help people with psychiatric disabilities think about, choose, plan for, and act on a life goal, with supports of their own choosing. The workbook has as its foundation both person-centered planning and the "stages of change" model.
Express Yourself! Assessing Self-Determination in Your Life (2004), by the National Research & Training Center on Psychiatric Disability is a user-friendly self-determination tool for people interested in knowing how much choice and control they have in their lives. Users can pinpoint life areas where they would like to have more control and decision-making power (such as money or relationships), and then learn how to get started by using action-planning and web-based resources. Areas covered in this self-assessment include finances, housing, transportation, employment, community integration, medical treatment, and mental health care. It is especially useful when paired with the Center's person-oriented planning guide This is Your Life!
Raising Difficult Issues With Your Service Provider (2003), a booklet by the National Research & Training Center on Psychiatric Disability provides "conversation starters" for people to use when initiating an empowering dialogue with their mental-health service providers. Ways to raise issues in ten important life areas cover education, employment, history of abuse and trauma, intimate relationships, control over one's own money, maintaining privacy, promoting sexual freedom, honoring choices about psychiatric medications, and showing respect for service recipients.
Seeking Supported Employment: What You Need to Know (2003), a booklet by the National Research & Training Center on Psychiatric Disability guides people with psychiatric disabilities through the process of identifying an evidence-based supported employment program. Using a question and answer checklist format, along with an integrated scoring system, individuals can choose the program that is right for them, and know whether the program provides services that research has shown lead to career success.
Capacity Building for PRCS Psychosocial Services Vision and Framework - A Concept Paper (2003), a paper by the Palestine Red Crescent Society Mental Health Department, has been developed in order to build the department's capacity to deliver professional, accessible community based psychosocial services to the Palestinian community in seven target locations.
Shifting the Paradigm in Community Mental Health: Towards Empowerment and Community (2003), is a book review that outlines the efforts of three Canadian mental health services to introduce major organizational change across a five-year time period (1995-2000). During this time, services were reworked, from traditional medical and rehabilitative services towards a new paradigm based on consumer participation and empowerment.
Barriers to Collaboration Between Mental Health Professionals and Families in the Care of Persons with Serious Mental Illness (2003), reports the findings of a study which evaluated the Professional Provider Family Education Course (PP FEC). This course, aimed at educating mental health providers in how to extend their programs to families, was developed by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and identifies barriers to collaboration between families and mental health professional providers.
Consumers in Action I - Maintaining Your Mental Health (2002) is one of the guides prepared by Self Help Connection (SHC) and National Network for Mental Health (NNMH) within the framework of the Mental Health in Action Program. It contains accessible information for mental health consumers on general mental health, symptoms of illness and coping, as well as useful advice on managing community living.
Consumers in Action II - Policy and Standards Development (2002) is one of the guides prepared by Self Help Connection (SHC) and National Network for Mental Health (NNMH) within the framework of the Mental Health in Action Program. It contains basic information on governmental policies and legislation pertaining to mental health.
Consumers in Action III - Consumer Survivor Leadership (2002) is one of the guides prepared by Self Help Connection (SHC) and National Network for Mental Health (NNMH) within the framework of the Mental Health in Action Program. As the title suggests, it offers advice on making effective presentations. It explains the concept and styles of leadership and offers useful advice on honing leadership skills for mental health survivors.
Human Rights Are for All: A Study of the Use and Potential of the UN Human Rights Instruments in the Context of Disability (2002), by the United Nations, contains information about the UN report, comprised of an executive summary, the aims and outline of the study.
Getting Involved In Research And Training Projects: A Guide For Persons With Disabilities (1996), by T. Heller, A. Miller, and T. Nelis, is a guide to help persons with disabilities get involved in research and training activities.
Telling New Stories: The Search for Capacity Among People with Severe Handicaps (1989), by John O'Brien and Beth Mount, describes different methods of life support for people with severe disabilities, with an emphasis on focusing on the person and on each individual's capacities.
National Training Manuals - Capacity Building of Civil Society Dealing with Anti-Discrimination (2006), are training tools developed as part of the EU-funded project "Capacity Building of Civil Society dealing with Anti-Discrimination" in 2005. Their aim is to provide training in European and national anti-discrimination law and policy to NGOs in the ten new Member States, and Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. The manuals may be useful for individuals and organizations active in the fight against discrimination across the European Union. The country versions were prepared in cooperation with national NGO partners in each involved country.
Capacity Building Guide (2003), has been compiled primarily based on the OneWorld archive of capacity building articles, and on an earlier version of the OneWorld Capacity Building Guide first published in 2003 with material provided by volunteer editor Michael Lagcao.
Building Capacity in Nonprofit Organizations (2001), a report published by The Urban Institute, seeks to advance the work on capacity-building for NGOs by articulating the concept of capacity building as enhancing the ability to effectively fulfil the organizational mission, and to improve the quality of life in communities to which NGOs serve.
Tools to Promote Transparency in Local Governance (2004), by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) and Transparency International, contains 29 tools and nearly 70 case studies combining the knowledge and lessons from UN-HABITAT's experience in urban governance, with TI's expertise in monitoring and combating corruption. This toolkit is valuable to those working to promote effective citizen participation.
Training Manual on Human Rights Monitoring (2001), by the United Nations´ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, is a standard guide developed for conducting human rights fact-finding and research missions. It is available in English, Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish.
Human Rights Monitoring (2001), by Marek Nowicki and Zuzanna Fialova, is a human rights monitoring handbook.
Human Rights Defender Manual: Human Rights Monitoring (2001), by Carol Devine and Victoria Coakley is a concise summary of other human rights monitoring manuals.
The Torture Reporting Handbook: How to Document and Respond to Allegations of Torture within the International System for the Protection of Human Rights (2000), by Camille Giffard, is a reference guide to human rights fact-finding, documentation, and advocacy from the University of Essex. It is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Spanish and Turkish.
Interaction: Data Collection in Humanitarian Response offers techniques and tips for collecting quality data, within the framework of ethical principles that should be the basis of any data collection: do no harm, and respect your source.
Networking and Coalition-Building
National Training Manuals - Capacity Building of Civil Society Dealing with Anti-Discrimination (2006) are training tools developed as part of the EU-funded project "Capacity Building of Civil Society dealing with Anti-Discrimination" in 2005. Their the aim is to provide training in European and national anti-discrimination law and policy to NGOs in the ten new Member States, and Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. The manuals may be useful for individuals and organizations active in the fight against discrimination across the European Union. The national versions were prepared in cooperation with national NGO partners in each involved country.
The Empowerment Model of Recovery: Finding Our Voice and Having a Say (2006), by Daniel Fisher, published by National Empowerment Center (NEC), discusses how overcoming central issues of discrimination, helplessness, and isolation of persons with mental illness is essential for their empowerment and participation. Coalition-building is an essential means of overcoming those barriers.
Balancing the Tensions in Coalitions (2005), by the Advocacy and Leadership Center at the Institute for Sustainable Communities, offers several suggestions for anticipating and overcoming tensions in coalition building and actions.
Types of Diversity in Coalitions (2005), by the Advocacy and Leadership Center at the Institute for Sustainable Communities, describes types of diversity possible in coalitions and encourages coalition leaders to consider which types of diversity would most benefit the coalition and support its aims.
Tips for Making a Coalition Work (2004), by the Advocacy and Leadership Center at the Institute for Sustainable Communities, suggests eight rules for making coalitions effective and avoiding difficulties such as worsening conflicts, rigidity, and lack of initiative.
Networking for Policy Change: An Advocacy Training Manual (1999), by The Policy Project, is a comprehensive campaigning manual with a section on networking.
The Capacity Building and Development for Education Networks Matrix, by the Africa Network Campaign on Education for All (ANCEFA), includes tips from successful national coalitions on how to build and use networks for education advocacy work. (Updates to the website are curently in progress).