About

The Richmond Psychosocial Foundation International was formed by Elly Jansen in 2006 to regenerate the services she had provided earlier specifically to focus on assisting and nurturing new initiatives globally.

Throughout the lifetime of the organisation the aim in each country or region has been to establish and develop affiliated but independent, non-government, non profit-making organisations, governed and operated by local boards, trustees or management bodies; adaptive, responsive to and driven by national and local need and circumstances, yet sharing common aims:

  • to respond to the needs of, and provide community based resources for, those seriously afflicted by mental health problems and illness
  • to inform and influence local and national awareness, policy and provision

Developing Countries

Within the developing countries and regions, whilst very successful in operating the initial project, local bodies at times remain quite dependent for their further development on external support, international links and the assistance, provided by the parent body.

This is most crucially the case in countries where mental illness and the needs of those affected remain a low priority, chronically under-resourced and under-funded, and where the need is still unrecognised.

The Mission

The mission of the Richmond Psychosocial Foundation International is to:

  • develop innovative therapeutic communities in the UK and abroad for children, young people and adults and use our developing practice to inform psychosocial therapeutic care internationally
  • promote understanding, awareness and effective responses to the needs of individuals and families affected by mental health problems of all kinds worldwide, particularly in those countries and regions where mental illness and its effects remain relatively unrecognised and under-resourced
  • coordinate and disseminate information, promote awareness of good practice in mental health provision; establish links between our associates and other bodies internationally
  • promote and support the creation of community-based resources (half-way homes day centres, outreach programmes) whose purpose is to support those suffering from mental health problems of various kinds in achieving and maintaining recovery and independence
  • consult with local and central governments, NGO’s and community leaders, as well as medical and academic institutions, in assessing need and culturally appropriate responses in relation to the development of specific mental health projects and programmes
  • support and respond to initiatives by local stakeholders in the UK as well as in other countries across the world, by helping them identify available resources, both staff and finance, from local, national and international sources
  • promote, assist with and facilitate appropriate training  programmes – locally nationally and internationally, and arrange international exchange programmes and study for specialist staff