Dear colleagues, dear friends of the International Psychiatric Congress for Mental Health and Recovery,

Upon the successful completion of the last congress, we took the time to reconsider our future direction. In an endeavor to live up to our aim of addressing our congress to all German-speaking regions, we searched for solutions.

Former congress committee member PD Dr. Holger Hoffmann is succeeded by two new medical colleagues. These are Dr. Walter Gekle, MD, Chief Physician at Soteria Bern and Medical Director of the Centre for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at UPD Bern, and PD Dr. Matthias Jäger, MD, Director of Adult Psychiatry and Chief Physician at the Baselland Psychiatric Hospital. The social work perspective of our committee is furthermore strengthened by Hannah Ruile, social worker FH.

In order to strengthen and improve the international networking and presence of the congress, we have formed an Advisory Board to advise us on content issues and help us to expand our network. For this purpose, we were able to win renowned persons who represent the view of relatives, people with their own experience of illness and recovery as well as specialists. Search for the heading “Advisory Board” and you will find a list of all persons who actively support the congress.

These developments did not happen overnight. Therefore, we have decided to hold the next congress merely in 2021, contrary to the previous two-year rhythm.

The 5th International Psychiatric Congress on Mental Health and Recovery will take place on 3 and 4 June 2021 in Bern on the Insel University Hospital premises under the title “Human Rights and Recovery: Re-thinking Roles”.

The topic of human rights has become increasingly important for people with mental illness and for the field of psychiatry in recent years. The congress will refer to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was ratified by Austria in 2008, by Germany in 2009 and by Switzerland in 2014. In addition to affirming general human rights, the convention also contains a large number of regulations for people with mental impairments, which are tailored to the life situation of people with permanent disabilities. These include freedom from barriers, social participation, equal rights and non-discrimination, access to health care, education and work, as well as the right to freedom and security of the person, to name but a few of the topics we want to address at the 2021 Congress.

We are already looking forward to an exciting congress with you. The website will now keep you informed about the next steps in the congress programming. Please feel free to register below, should you wish to receive our newsletter from now on, which you can unsubscribe from at any given moment.

Best regards,

The congress committee

THE CONGRESS COMMITTEE

Christian Burr
MScN, Pflegeexperte, Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern

Santo Casablanca
Sozialarbeiter, Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern

Walter Gekle
Dr. med., Chefarzt Soteria und Direktion Psychiatrische Rehabilitation, Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern

Sibylle Glauser
Lic. phil, Angehörigenberatung der UPD, Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern

Anna Hegedüs
Mag., Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin, Forschung, Careum Hochschule Gesundheit

Matthias Jäger
PD Dr. med., Direktor Erwachsenenpsychiatrie, Psychiatrie Baselland

Hanna Ruile
Sozialarbeiterin BSc FH, Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern

Andréa Winter
Expertin durch Erfahrung EX-IN / Übersetzerin, Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern

Gianfranco Zuaboni
PhD, MNSc, Leiter Pflegeentwicklung, Sanatorium Kilchberg

ADMINISTRATION, WEBDESIGN UND SOCIAL MEDIA

Nico Hirschi
Prozessmanager, Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern

Marion Roggo
Kongresssekretatiat, Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern

 ADVISORY BOARD

Andreas Knuf
Dipl. Psych., psychologischer Psychotherapeut, Praxis für Psychotherapie, Konstanz (D)

Joachim Schnackenberg
PhD, Dipl. Mental Health Nursing, dipl. Sozialarbeiter FH, EFC-Institut, Hannover (D)

Peter Lehmann
Dr. phil. h.c., Sozialwissenschaftler und Verleger, Antipsychiatrieverlag, Berlin (D)

Caroline Suter-Sturm
Expertin durch Erfahrung und wissenschaftliche Assistentin, Haute École de la Santé La Source, Lausanne (CH)

Charles Bonsack
Prof. Dr. med., Chefarzt und Assoziierter Professor, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik CHUV, Lausanne (CH)

Julie Repper
PhD, Dipl. Mental Health Nursing, Leitung Kernteam ImRoc, Nottingham (UK)

Sirkka Mullis
Lic. phil. hist., Angehörige, Projektleiterin und wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin, Bundesamt für Gesundheit, Bern (CH)

Michaela Amering
Prof. Dr. med.; Oberärztin und Leiterin integrative Psychosebehandlung, Universitätsklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie am AKH, Wien (A)

Janine Berg-Peer
M.A., Angehörige, Autorin und Coach (D)

Thelke Scholz
Expertin durch Erfahrung in der Gesundheitsversorgung EX-IN und Empowerment College Trainerin, Bremen (D)

Roberto Mezzina
Ehem. Direktor Dipartimento di Salute Mentale Trieste (IT); Former Head of Service, WHO CC for Research and Training (I)