Presentation Information
[SY-31-02]Co-Producing Community Mental Health with SAGA-ACT, People with Lived Experience, and Their Families
*Kenichiro taniguchi (Saga Ebisu Mental Clinic(Japan))
Keywords:
Community mental health,Co-production,Experience specialists,Assertive Community Treatment,Recovery College
Since April 2015, SAGA-ACT has provided Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Saga City, a regional city in northern Kyushu, Japan. The team includes psychiatrists, nurses, occupational therapists, psychiatric social workers, and administrative staff, serving a catchment area of about 400,000 people. Saga Prefecture has 490 psychiatric beds per 100,000 people, nearly twice the national average, reflecting a delay in deinstitutionalization and a persistence of stigma.To address these challenges, SAGA-ACT engages in co-produced community activities with people with lived experience and their families, aiming to build mutual respect, enhance mental health literacy, and reduce stigma.SAGA Ginnan no Kai co-produces psychoeducation and family dialogue programs with public officials and professionals.Rashisa SAGA runs a Recovery College planned and delivered by service users and staff.TOMY’S ACTION CLUB organizes mental health seminars and film events in collaboration with national peers online.These initiatives illustrate how co-production enables inclusive, recovery-oriented community mental health in a context where institutional care still dominates.