Indonesian Mental Health Association is an organization that focus on the advocacy, the monitoring and implementation of all human rights for persons with mental health problems and psychosocial disabilities. We are led by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). IMHA/PJS foresees a future in which all human rights and full freedoms of persons with psychosocial disabilities are realized. We advocate for the practice of Inclusion and would like to see it manifest in all national policies and laws in Indonesia. IMHA/PJS based in Jakarta but our work coverage is at the national level.

This project aims to provide a platform for self-advocates with psychosocial disabilities to continue their learning process, such as being able to solve the problems they experience, educate more people with psychosocial disabilities about their rights, and advocate on relevant topics that are important to their well-being by run and led an organization independently. This platform will be in the form of Jakarta branch of Indonesian Mental Health Association (Perhimpunan Jiwa sehat/PJS) and functions as a forum for self-development as well as a place to campaign for the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities to the wider community. This organization will be led and driven by self-advocates independently. It is hoped that this self-run and self-led organization can improve their bargaining position and at the same time become a forum for mutual support in dealing with daily problems. In addition, by expanding IMHA in East Java, they can mobilize more persons with psychosocial disabilities to better understand their rights as persons with disabilities and as citizens.

The planned activities consist of 4 parts:

1. Peer Support Group As someone with mental health problems, living everyday life is already a difficult struggle. This peer support is a safety net where they share stories and encourage one another. Periodically the peer support group will invite a counsellor or mentor to help maintain their psychological fitness, such as a psychologist, yoga instructor, art therapy advisor etc.

2. Capacity Building and Self-Development Activities. This activity aims to develop the capacity of self-advocates to run the organization and develop their respective interests. For organizational development there will be a short leadership training as well as a short training on organizational management and finance. In addition, to improve self-advocates skills to speak in forums, a short public speaking training will be held. For interest and talent development activities, a training program for making short videos using cell phone cameras will be held. In addition, efforts will be made to develop several interest and talent clubs such as the English club, writing club and art club.

3. Campaigns and Education to The Public This activity aims to conduct a campaign to the public about what psychosocial disability is, the obstacles and discrimination experienced and the rights of persons with disabilities as citizens, and to eliminating stigma and discrimination. This is a regular program that will run continuously. Activities that will be carried out in this sub-program including launching short videos about the daily life of persons with psychosocial disability. These videos will made entirely by self-advocates, from script writing, shooting, editing, insert texts as well as all the castings.4.AdvocacyAdvocacy activities are planned to focus on two topics that are closely related to the daily lives of people with psychosocial disabilities. The first is the problem of availability of medical services and psychological therapy. The medication available for people with psychosocial disabilities covered by the BPJS were very limited. Many newer
3generations of medications with mild side-effects do- not have generic versions available, so they are very expensive. Apart from medicine, counselling and psychological services are very important for persons with psychosocial disabilities, however these services are still rarely provided. For these two issues we will organize a series of advocacy activities targeting the Ministry of Health and the BPJS. The second is the issue of support for persons with psychosocial disabilities while studying in tertiary education. The dropout rate of students with psychosocial disabilities in college and universities is very high. For this reason, it is necessary for the educational facilities to provide support and reasonable accommodation for students with psychosocial disabilities in tertiary institutions. Law No.8 of 2016requires all tertiary institutions to have a disability service unit, but this has not been implemented. We plan to approach a university in Jakarta and encourage them to establish a disability service unit that is also inclusive of persons with psychosocial disabilities.