Implementation of community mental health services: making it happen! During this three-day international event in the beautiful city of Leuven, we will address the central elements of deinstitutionalization. Among others, we will address the need for implementing a public-health approach in deinstitutionalizing mental health care. An international group of excellent speakers will provide examples of a state-of-the art of building up of community services in different countries. For implementation of recovery-focused community mental health services, collaboration between medical/psychiatric and social services is needed, which often is difficult due to differences in culture, working methods and aims of these services. During the conference, in workshops and symposia you will be able to discuss these issues and processes needed to effectively (re)allocate resources in order to implement better mental health and social services for all. The presentations about implementing a public-health approach in deinstitutionalizing mental health care as well as implementation of community mental health services will be based on scientific evidence, professional knowledge and experience, as well as knowledge based on peer expertise. It is evident that attention will be paid to the question how to provide both institutionalized and community treatment in times of the pandemic.
