Day Center

It is a Psychosocial Support and Rehabilitation Unit that provides services to adults facing both psychological and psychiatric problems in the community. The Day Center cooperates with a Network of all Mental Health, Primary care and Social Protection service providers in the region. It is an open Mental Health Community Unit that is addressed to the adult residents of the 5th Sector of Mental Health and their families. At present, it is exclusively funded by the Greek Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity.

Our multidisciplinary group consists of experienced mental health professionals, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, speech therapists, nurses, who all cooperate to meet and cover a wide range of needs with a holistic approach.

Day Center Objectives :

• Promote mental health in the community
• Prevent the manifestation as well as the relapse of mental illnesses with the psychosocial rehabilitation of the person facing the challenge
• Avoid or reduce the time of hospitalisation for people suffering from severe mental disorders
• Assess the psychosocial skills and needs of the people suffering from a mental illness so as to create a personalised rehabilitation progamme for every one of them
• Inform and raise awareness in the community in order to eliminate the concept of stigma and discrimination
• Participation of the individual in a variety of social and therapeutic activities while getting the support they need on a personal, group and family level
• Protect the rights of those who receive mental health services
• Support the reintegration of people suffering from a mental illness into working life
• Raise community awareness to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness

The Day Center provides services to adults (18 and above) facing psychological and psychiatric problems. Specifically it is addressed to:

• People with mental problems and mental disorders who live in the community or in their family homes
• People with severe and chronic disorders who live in Psychosocial Rehabilitation Units in the community
• People with severe psychosocial problems who are in need of support not only to avert institutionalisation but also to improve their quality of life
• People with critical physical conditions (heart diseases, cancer, etc.) and psychosocial needs, including their families
• People who belong in vulnerable population groups and experience or are threatened by social exclusion and marginalization (e.g. unemployed, immigrants, battered and abused women, Roma)
• Families who need psychological support and consultation
• People who have suffered the negative consequences of institutionalisation or marginalisation and stigma and are on the stage of reintegration into society
• People who are bedridden or due to severe psychopathology are in need of in-home care
• Parents and Educators who need immediate consultative support
• Medical and Healthcare students who wish to join a Unit that is open to the community for intern training

BUT ALSO…to the wider population that is benefited indirectly through the actions and events organized by the Day Center including Mental Health providers, Civil Society Organisations, Mental Health professionals, residents of neighbouring Municipalities to the Municipality of Acharnes and generally to the educational community.

It is highlighted that our services are not provided to adults that fall into the following categories: display acute psychiatric symptoms or go through severe crisis episodes that demand in-hospital treatment, suffer from moderate or severe mental disabilities or severe autism symptoms that demand specialised treatment programmes or specialist autism services, suffer from addiction to toxic substances and need addiction treatment centers, have been charged with offensive conduct on high-level. In such cases, those interested can be informed through our Social Services Department.

Multidisciplinary Treatment Group

The high-quality personnel recruited for the Day Center under the Protocol No. Y5b/G.P. 92123 Operating Certificate consists of:

• Psychiatrist
• Psychologists
• Social Worker
• Chief Administrative Officer
• Auxiliary Staff

The personnel of the M.T G., according to their role and the needs of the service users, cooperate with organisations and other professionals of mental health services, social welfare, local authorities, etc.

In detail the services of the Day Center include:

Psychiatric – Psychological diagnosis, evaluation, monitoring

One of the roles of the Multidisciplinary Treatment Group in the Day Center is to assess the needs of the applicant, find out what intrigues and fascinates them, identify their existing skills and the approaches needed to help bring them out and develop further with the primary aim to avoid or reduce admission to mental health units.

Consultation, short-term psychotherapy to individuals and groups

The service of psychotherapy provides private psychotherapeutic interventions to people in need from the community, initially by implementing specific psychometric tests. The duration of psychotherapy is evaluated in accordance with the needs of the person under treatment. The service of psychotherapy is provided by psychologists and psychotherapists of certain therapeutic approaches (psychodynamic/psychoanalytic therapy, cognitive/behavioural therapy, art therapy and music therapy etc). In the context of music therapy, music-assisted desensitisation is also applied in a private session during which the person under treatment learns through music how to develop self-awareness and gain self-regulation. Meanwhile, follow-up treatments are also carried out.

Family therapy – Couples relationship therapy

This service aims to support families that face relationship problems with important people in their lives and people within their social context. The couple, the parents or the whole family may participate in the sessions (Psychoeducation, Ecosystemic Approach). There are also Multifamily Group Therapies which involve working with a collection of families, including all their members, in a group setting.

Social Club

The Social Club is a multi-purpose facility where the members can meet each other and enjoy leisure and creative activities. It is for people facing psychosocial problems and live either in the community or in a psychosocial rehabilitation unit (boarding house, guest house etc). The main objective of the Club is for its members to develop social relations and kinship, make good use of their time in a creative way, develop interests and improve their interpersonal skills.

Weekly Psychosocial Rehabilitation Programme for adults who have been diagnosed with severe psychiatric disorders

The Weekly Group Programme in the Day Center operates from Monday to Friday, from 10:00am to 13:00pm and is addressed to adults with psychosocial difficulties that need to improve their personal and interpersonal skills. It includes a wide range of activities that aim to treat and rehabilitate and are based on Art Therapy, Music Therapy and Drama Therapy. The main objective of this programme, which operates on a structured weekly basis, is to support and empower the people under treatment on their efforts to achieve psychosocial rehabilitation by boosting communication, expression and support between the members. At the same time, we focus on reinforcing the active participation of the members in decision-making related to the care they receive and the protection of their rights. Furthermore, specific types of Art Therapy are offered to the service users on scheduled dates in cooperation with the scientific staff within the specially designed facilities in the Boarding House Galini.

Vocational Orientation and Rehabilitation Programm

The objective of this Programme is to help the individual (whether young, unemployed or facing mental challenges) with their vocational reintegration and rehabilitation in a smooth and successful way. Vocational Consultants provide support on work/employment matters and information on training employment programmes by the Labour Employment Office (OAED) and other Employment Services.

Social Services Department and Interconnection of services with the community

The Social Services Department of the Day Center Galini provides information on social benefits, rights and schemes regarding the interconnection of services and the consultative support of the individual. The members and their families receive the necessary information and are connected to other services. The Department, in cooperation with the Multidisciplinary Treatment Group, organises events to raise awareness in the community on matters such as the promotion of mental health, prevention of psychiatric disorders and social exclusion.

Research and Training Department “M. Haritou – Fatourou”

The Research and Training Department of the Day Center Galini is named in honour of the Professor Emeritus of Psychology. The Department cooperates on a regular basis with the Higher and Highest Educational Institutions of the country providing internship trainings as a Student Training Center, while at the same time it is a setting for the students to write their Graduate Theses and Dissertations. The Department provides training to mental health professionals and educators but also to groups of people within the community who are interested in this kind of work.

The training of students, mental health professionals, social scientists and volunteers is carried out in monthly educational programmes on mental health, including events and specific seminars in the facilities of the Day center. Indicative of the Department’s action is the School Intervention Programme that aims to inform and raise students, parents and teachers awareness on topical mental health issues. Additionally important is the Scientific and Research work carried out in the Department, presenting their findings through participation in scientific conferences as well as with articles in the newspaper, social media and scientific magazines.

Volunteer Department

The Day Center Galini, through its Volunteer Department, reinforces the principle of donating time and energy to assist and comfort other people providing both the volunteers and the receivers with beneficial experiences. The Volunteers Network grants mental health professionals and non-professionals alike, the opportunity to participate in a wide range of actions aiming to help and benefit fellow human beings. Our main concern is that volunteering is carried out in an organized context, offering opportunities for training, monitoring and practice as well as important solutions to national emergencies.

The services provided by the Day center are free to all.