What is Organization and Methodology Department?

Organization and Methodology Department is a body responsible for information support and methodological guidance of psychiatric institutions and services, subordinated to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Department's  responsibilities includes the followings:

• Functioning of Mental Health Information System to obtain reliable data about needs in this field
• Monitoring and quality assurance of mental health services
• Planning and developing documents including special programs, practice guidelines, reports, etc. to improve coordination of mental health care provision
• Developing human resources through elaboration of educational programs, training of various specialists and cooperation with leading international organizations and academic institutions

What is Mental Health Information System?

Mental Health Information System is intended for:

• Collection of statistics and epidemiological data.
• Data entry and processing for consequent analysis.
• Analysis and examination of the results obtained.
• Dissemination of the results of the analysis.
• Use of the data to improve service delivery, planning, development and evaluation

The Mental Health Information System utilizes minimum data set including demographics, number of visits, diagnoses, number of hospitalizations, etc. The Mental Health Center has developed information system which is in the process of a pilot trial.

What is monitoring and quality assurance?

Monitoring is a system of regular measuring changes in mental health to determine effectiveness and quality of services. In mental health care, quality is a measure of whether services increase the likelihoodof desired mental health outcomes and are consistent with current evidence-basedpractice.

A quality assurance model is based on a methodology  the plan-do-study-act cycle which includes:

• Determining goals and objectives to improve quality of care
• Developing standards, indicators and monitoring tools to evaluate quality of services
• Analyzing outcomes of clinical practice and their compliance with existing standards
• Implementing changes to improve current practice

The Mental Health Center's specialists regularly visit regions of the country to conduct audit in mental health facilities. In addition they develop monitoring tools to provide objective evaluation of quality of care.

What is mental health planning?

Successful implementation of mental health care provision requires normative documents including instructions, guidelines, special programs, plans and reports. All these documents have being developed by the Center's specialists in the context of the National Mental Health Policy.

At the moment the Mental Health Center has elaborated the following documents:

Clinical guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of:

• Dementia
• Anxiety Disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Regulations on:

• Case Management in Mental Health
• Psychiatric Care: Counseling and Treatment

Policy documents:

• National Mental Health Workforce Strategy
• Project of Resource Center for Autism:

What is development of human resources in mental health?

Human resources are the most important part of mental health system. Effectiveness of provided care depends on competence and motivation of mental health professionals. At the moment mental health services are provided not only by psychiatrists or psychiatric nurses but also by clinical psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, primary healthcare practitioners,and other professionals.

A significant amount of work related tohuman resource development. Intherecentyearweconductedthefollowingstrainings:

• Social Work in Mental Health - trainer Fuad Ismayilov (November-December, 2012)
• Psychosocial Rehabilitation in Mental Health Institutions of Azerbaijan - trainers RutaLukosaityte, Rasa Verseckaite (Fbruary, 2013)
• Training on Mental Health for Journalists - trainer ArunasGermenyavichus (March, 2013)
• Research Methods and Data Proceeding with SPSS - trainer Anar Veliyev (March-April, 2013)
• Health Services Quality and Monitoring - trainer YasharHodjayev (Aprel, 2013)
• Emergency Psychological Counsiling - trainer AyselBabayeva (May, 2013)
• Methods of Diagnostics and Treatment of Psychoses - professors from Turkey (May, 2013)
• Rights Protection of People with Mental Disorders - trainer Nana Zavdrashvili (June, 2013)
• Diagnostic and Treatment of Depression in Primary Care - trainer Rustam Salayev (July, 2013)
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy - trainer Fuad Ismayilov (May-August, 2013)

Participationininternationaltrainings:

• Mental Health Services in Lithuania - 4 specialists (Vilnius, September 16-24, 2012)
• Certification Training onUse of WIS-AR andStandford-Binet for IQ Assessment,- 1 specialist (Ankara, April 5-8, 2013)
• Research Methods and Ethical Aspects in Medical Science - 5 specialists (Istanbul, June-July, 2013)
• Mental Health Services in Turkey - 7 specialists (Ankara, September 7-28, 2013)
• MSc on Mental Health Policy and Services - 2 specialists (Lisbon, 2012-2013; 2013-2014)
• Training in Germany - 3 specialists (2012-2013)

Cooperation with other organizations

• Ministry of Emergency Situation - 3 four-day trainings on Psychological First Aid in Rescue Operations
• Ministry of Youth and Sports - 2 four-day trainings on Crisis Intervention
• Veterans Public Organization - one-month project on Integration of Ex-combatants into Society
• European Union - two-year project on Empowerment of Mental Health Service Users in Five Regions of Azerbaijan
• Public Health and Reform Center - Guidelines on Medical and Psychological Aid for Victims of Domestic Violence