Indonesian Mental Health Association (IMHA)

The Indonesian Mental Health Association (IMHA) is a national organization committed to promoting inclusivity and human rights for persons with psychosocial disabilities. IMHA has long advocated for the rights, autonomy, and meaningful participation of persons with psychosocial disabilities in policy processes and public life. Its work focuses on advancing community inclusion, preventing institutionalization, and ensuring that legal and social systems respect the dignity and rights of persons with disabilities.

In Indonesia, persons with psychosocial disabilities continue to face institutionalization, limited access to justice, and barriers in protection and recovery services—particularly survivors of sexual violence. The drafting of derivative regulations under the Anti-Sexual Violence Act presented a critical moment to ensure that disability perspectives were meaningfully included. However, many provisions initially lacked a disability and human rights perspective, particularly for those in institutions, remote areas, and vulnerable settings. This created an urgent need for coordinated advocacy to ensure that the rights and needs of persons with disabilities were fully recognized.

Through the TCI Microgrant under the deinstitutionalization and community inclusion thematic, IMHA led a coordinated advocacy initiative to influence the drafting of seven derivative regulations of the Anti-Sexual Violence Act. The project included the development of a comprehensive List of Problem Inventory (DIM), consolidating input from disability organizations across Indonesia. IMHA organized consultations, periodic meetings, a national workshop with relevant ministries, a press conference, and strategic lobbying efforts to advocate for meaningful participation and disability-inclusive provisions. The project also included a visit to an institutional care facility for persons with disabilities, followed by a focus group discussion that identified violations of women’s rights and strengthened joint commitments for reform.

As a result of this advocacy, several key recommendations were incorporated into the latest drafts of the regulations, including monitoring of vulnerable places such as institutions and the inclusion of civil society participation in policy development processes. The project also strengthened collaboration between government representatives and civil society, mobilized persons with psychosocial disabilities to lead advocacy efforts, and expanded national networks working on protection and recovery for survivors with disabilities. The microgrant provided critical technical and strategic support, enabling IMHA to formulate stronger advocacy strategies and ensure that the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities are reflected in the implementation of the Anti-Sexual Violence Act.

Nidahas Chinthana Sansadaya – Consumer Action Forum (NCS-CAF)

Nidahas Chinthana Sansadaya – Consumer Action Forum (NCS-CAF), founded on 20 November 2008, is a Sri Lanka–based organization working to promote mental well-being and inclusion of persons with psychosocial disabilities. Its vision is a non-discriminating society where the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities are respected. Through community sensitization, collaborative action, user-led research, and advocacy, NCS-CAF works to facilitate support structures that enable persons with psychosocial disabilities to actively participate in community life, economic engagement, self-advocacy, and decision-making. The organization operates primarily in Hambantota district in the Southern Province, with membership extending to other districts and national-level advocacy engagement.

In the context of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, NCS-CAF observed a 30% increase in persons seeking psychiatric treatment, while many others remained isolated. Persons with psychosocial disabilities continue to face exclusion from development and social protection programmes and are often perceived as a burden rather than productive citizens. Community-based groups and services frequently exclude them, and the absence of structured community support increases the risk of isolation, abuse, and institutionalization. These conditions highlighted the urgent need to develop community-based support mechanisms that prevent institutionalization and strengthen inclusion at the village level.

Through the TCI Microgrant, NCS-CAF implemented the project “Laymen’sDen: Cross-disability Movement for Community Inclusion of Persons with Psychosocial Disability.” The project focused on community consultations in Southern, Uva, and Central provinces to identify barriers to inclusion and propose community-level interventions. Activities included orientation workshops for partner OPDs, community consultation workshops, Human Library sessions where leaders with psychosocial disabilities shared their life stories, development of life stories and process documentation, and advocacy actions at provincial and district coordination meetings. The project also strengthened the Laymen’sDen Cross-Disability Movement, a network connecting OPD leaders, civil society actors, and development practitioners across provinces.

During the reporting period, community consultation workshops brought together persons with psychosocial disabilities, family members, community members, OPD leaders, and service providers to identify key issues such as relapse due to lack of social support, limited therapeutic services at community level, negative attitudes within health services, and economic hardship. Participants proposed interventions including sensitization programmes, inclusive community events, partnerships between mental health service providers and community leaders, and advocacy for improved services. The Laymen’sDen network also mobilized rapid cross-disability advocacy actions, including collecting 83 signatures within 48 hours to support a complaint to the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission regarding the death of an institutionalized person. Through workshops, consultations, advocacy engagement, and network-based support, the project strengthened collaboration among OPDs and duty-bearers and promoted community-based approaches to inclusion of persons with psychosocial disabilities.

ORGANISATION POUR LA PROMOTION DE DROITS DES MALADES ET HANDICAPES MENTAUX AU RWANDA (OPROMAMER)

OPROMAMER is a psychosocial disability organization in Rwanda and a member of the Transforming Communities for Inclusion (TCI) network. The organization advocates for the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities, using the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) as a legal framework and advocacy tool.

Persons with psychosocial disabilities in Rwanda continue to face stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion. Many are perceived as incapable or “inapt,” and are often confined to their homes by family members due to ignorance and misunderstanding about mental health. Prior to this project, awareness of the UNCRPD was very limited among persons with psychosocial disabilities and the broader community. As a result, many individuals accepted discrimination without knowing their rights or how to advocate for themselves.

Through the TCI Microgrant, OPROMAMER implemented a UNCRPD training and a series of community mobilization activities. Trainings were conducted for persons with psychosocial disabilities as well as for community workers, leaders, and opinion leaders. These sessions increased knowledge of rights under the UNCRPD and strengthened collaboration between persons with psychosocial disabilities and other community actors. A key achievement was community mobilization led jointly by trained persons with psychosocial disabilities, community workers, and local leaders. Together, they conducted outreach within communities to raise awareness about the UNCRPD, decentralizing knowledge and expanding advocacy beyond individual self-advocacy to a broader, inclusive movement. In total, the project reached 260 persons, including both persons with psychosocial disabilities and members of the wider community.

As a result of the project, OPROMAMER members report increased confidence, reduced stigma, and stronger integration within their communities. Members are now more able to raise their voices, speak openly about their rights, and advocate for themselves without shame. The project also strengthened cross-disability collaboration at community level.

Triumph Uganda Mental Health Support and Recovery Program (TRIUMPH)

Triumph Mental Health Support and Recovery Programme is a Ugandan organization committed to advancing the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities through advocacy, research, and systems transformation. The organization works to align national mental health systems with the human rights standards of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), particularly the right to live independently and be included in the community. Through engagement with government actors, civil society, and persons with lived experience, Triumph promotes a shift from institutional care to community-based, rights-based support systems.

In Uganda, institutionalization remains the dominant model of mental health service delivery despite progressive legal reforms, including the Persons with Disabilities Act and the Mental Health Act. Although Uganda has ratified the UNCRPD and recently adopted the Deinstitutionalisation Guidelines, implementation remains limited. Many persons with psychosocial disabilities continue to face stigma, arbitrary detention, forced treatment, and exclusion from community life. Within this context, there is an urgent need to strengthen understanding and operationalization of deinstitutionalization principles at the local government level.

With support from TCI’s microgrant, Triumph conducted a rapid assessment in Jinja City to evaluate knowledge and readiness among local government departments regarding the Deinstitutionalisation Guidelines. The assessment involved interviews with key city departments including health, education, labour, and community development offices. It examined stakeholders’ understanding of the right to legal capacity, access to justice, liberty, and community inclusion, and explored how these principles could be integrated into local programming and policy implementation.

The findings revealed that while stakeholders generally understood the concept of deinstitutionalization, awareness of the Guidelines themselves was limited. The project created important dialogue between government officials and disability advocates, highlighting the need for joint programming, legislative alignment, and stronger coordination across departments. The microgrant strengthened advocacy momentum at the city level and reinforced the role of strategic partnerships in advancing community-based mental health services. It also positioned Triumph as a key actor in promoting rights-based mental health reform and laid groundwork for broader policy engagement and sustained deinstitutionalization efforts in Uganda.

Taiwan Mad Alliance (TMA)

Taiwan Mad Alliance (TMA) is a disabled persons’ organization led by people with psychosocial disabilities in Taiwan. TMA advocates for deinstitutionalization, legal reform, and the right to live independently in the community in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Through peer-led organizing, policy engagement, and international collaboration, TMA works to challenge compulsory mental health interventions and promote survivor-led alternatives rooted in community support and autonomy.

In Taiwan, institutionalization and compulsory psychiatric interventions remain central features of the mental health system. Recent amendments to the Mental Health Act (MHA) have expanded judicial oversight of mandatory hospitalization but continue to legitimize compulsory treatment practices, including restraint and isolation. At the same time, government policies framed under a “social safety net” approach have increased surveillance and expanded forensic psychiatric infrastructure. Within this context, deinstitutionalization remains contested, and awareness of the Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization (DI Guidelines) has been limited.

Through the TCI Microgrant, TMA undertook three major initiatives. First, the organization completed traditional and simplified Chinese translations of the DI Guidelines in collaboration with partners in Hong Kong and China. The translation was widely disseminated and adopted by the CRPD Committee as an unofficial Chinese version of the document. Second, TMA convened four law amendment discussions focused on the MHA (Mental Health Act), producing written submissions presented during public hearings organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare. The discussions contributed survivor-led perspectives on restraint, isolation, and zero-compulsory mental health frameworks, and included the development of accessible public education materials shared through social media and national media engagement. Third, TMA hosted five peer-led sharing sessions in Taipei and Kaohsiung, amplifying lived experiences of independent living, peer support, and access to personal assistance, while documenting barriers within existing community support systems.

As a result of the project, TMA strengthened survivor mobilization and positioned deinstitutionalization more clearly within Taiwan’s legal reform debates. The project produced a comprehensive deinstitutionalization action plan outlining the current state of psychiatric institutionalization, policy reform priorities, and strategies for advancing Article 19 of the CRPD. It also expanded TMA’s advocacy reach nationally and internationally, leveraging Taiwan’s engagement with global human rights mechanisms to build alliances and increase pressure for reform.

KOSHISH

KOSHISH is a Nepal-based organization established in 2008 by persons with lived experience of mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities. The organization works to promote psychosocial well-being, self-advocacy, and meaningful inclusion in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us.” KOSHISH has consistently advocated for mainstreaming mental health within national development agendas, including health, social protection, education, and employment systems.

In Nepal, government policies and programs have historically emphasized institutional responses, including campaigns such as the “Sadak Manav Mukta” initiative, which focuses primarily on removing people from the streets into institutional settings. However, limited attention has been given to Article 19 of the CRPD, the right to live independently and be included in the community. Recognizing this gap, Koshish through the microgrant planned to shift policy discussions toward community inclusion, reasonable accommodation, and personal assistance at the provincial level.

With support from the microgrant, KOSHISH organized three provincial-level workshops in Bagmati (Hetauda), Karnali (Surkhet), and Gandaki (Pokhara), in collaboration with key stakeholders including the National Human Rights Commission, the National Federation of the Disabled Nepal, INSEC, and Ministries of Social Development. The workshops sensitized policy makers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, cross-disability organizations, and persons with psychosocial disabilities on Article 19 of the CRPD and the importance of deinstitutionalization. Over 130 participants across provinces engaged in dialogue, and provincial advocacy groups and loose networks were formed to advance community inclusion agendas. Notably, provincial officials publicly committed to allocating budgets for social inclusion of persons with psychosocial disabilities in upcoming policy cycles.

The microgrant also supported the translation and summarization of the Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization into Nepali, strengthening accessibility and internal capacity for advocacy. As a result of the project, KOSHISH enhanced its organizational visibility, strengthened collaboration with national human rights and disability networks, and empowered persons with lived experience to directly engage policy decision-makers.