​Goals

​MenACE Project aims to increase the response to mental health disorders within prisons and the quality of palliative and life care services provided by enhancing the competences of management and frontline staff to address prisoners’ mental health needs and the special needs of older prisoners. 
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​Specific goals include:

1. To develop pedagogical materials and learning processes that support the training of staff and the training of trainers in the field of mental healthcare and geriatrics in prisons;
2. To develop and pilot a “train the trainer” course for prison professionals (blended learning) so that they can be able to train continuously their colleagues on metal healthcare and the needs of older prisoners;
3. To develop and pilot a training course targeting first line prison administrators and first line prison staff on basic mental health and age-related heath issues;
4. To develop and pilot a training course targeting first line prison staff on the recognition and prevention of suicides;
5. To raise the awareness of prison staff, prisoners and their families with information and educational materials about mental problems, and the risk of suicide and self-harm (including awareness of times of risk: when prisoners may be at risk of particular distress and anxiety). 
6. To enhance cooperation with community health care providers and NGOs through referral of mentally ill inmates to local or regional mental health care organisations to ensure access to that can provide further evaluation and treatment after incarceration or during community probation measures.
7. To raise the awareness of policy makers and judicial staff (namely judges and prosecutors) to the problem of mental health disorders, palliative and end of life care and aging and its consequences to prison systems.