The MHID grants committee has awarded the Romanian based non-governmental organisation Orizonturi a one-year grant to develop service user led advocacy and participatory policy activities in the rural areas of Campulung-Moldovenesc and Suceava County.

The project's aims are to:

1. To promote service user involvement and empowerment in local decision making processes

2. To influence and contribute to mental health policy in line with local issues

3. To decrease discrimination and negative attitudes toward people with mental health problems through grassroots leadership and the promotion of positive images

4. To make Orizonturi more visible and active in the community as a source of informantion, support and advice for local people

Orizonturi will use the grant to develop and extend their local policy forum which is run by service users and includes representatives from many stakeholder groups including council officials, teachers, mental health professionals, the policy and other civil society groups. They will also undertake a range of outreach work in to the rural communities around the market towns of the area.