WFMH: 2001 Annual Report (Last Updated On: ) ABOUT WFMH Governance The central decision-making and operational units of WFMH are its elected Board of Directors, led by the Federations President who holds office for a two-year term, and the Secretariat. An assembly of voting member associations, which ratifies certain Board decisions and elects Board members and officers, meets yearly but is most active during the biennial World Congress. An Executive Committee of officers (president, president elect, immediate past president, honorary secretary, treasurer, membership secretary and a representative chosen by the Regional Vice Presidents) is empowered to transact Federation business in the intervals between meetings. The World Federation for Mental Health was founded in 1948 at the Third International Congress of Mental Hygiene in London. Its origins can be linked to the earlier work of Clifford Beers, after his traumatic experience as a mental hospital patient. They are also linked to the peace movement after World War II, and the idea contained in the WFMH founding document Mental Health and World Citizenship that the ultimate goal of mental health is to help people live with their fellows in one world. Within this broad context the Federations specific mission was seen as promoting the mental health of the worlds peoples in its social, educational, medical and biological aspects. The early goals of the Federation allowed mental health association volunteers and professionals to direct attention to the social circumstances of peoples lives. After 1983 the mission increasingly emphasized the human rights of people defined as mentally ill or at risk for such illness, their capacity to contribute to the formation and management of mental health services, and improving efforts to encourage their participation in Federation activities. Consumers have now become more interested in the Federations work, while pursuing their own goals of presenting their opinions independently. Membership and Organization WFMH has 63 voting member organizations which are national or international in scope (see the back cover). There are also 58 non-voting local, state or provincial affiliate organizations, and 1,361 individual members. In 1983 the WFMH Board of Directors voted to make the formation of Regional Councils or coalitions of member associations a high priority. Four Regional Councils are currently active, those for Africa; Central American, Mexico and the Spanish Caribbean; the Eastern Mediterranean; and Europe. A Council formed for South America during preparations for the World Congress in Chile in 1999 later became inactive. For various reasons Regional Councils have not been formed for North America, Oceania, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. Since 1986 a network of university-based collaborating centers has been created to carry on our advocacy mission and to provide a technical-scientific basis for advocacy. At the present time there are eight of these centers. We also have a network of topic-oriented committees or working groups, some established on an ad hoc local basis and others working at an international level, to focus interest on particular areas of concern. Administration In 2001 Max Abbott undertook a thorough revision of the Manual of Policy and Procedures, which was reviewed by the Board at its Vancouver meeting. Since then a group consisting of Max Abbott, Tony Fowke, Richard Hunter, Janet Meagher and Edward Pennington has continued to work on the Manual to deal with items needing further attention. They will report to the Board at its September 2002 meeting in London.. Communications The Secretariats communications program – Annual Report, quarterly newsletters and web site – is supported by generous grants from an anonymous donor. It also receives welcome office support from the Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The Annual Report of the World Federation for Mental Health is prepared by Elena Berger, Director of Communications. Senior Advisor and Consultant for Communications: Eugene B. Brody, M.D. WFMH Publications Office Sheppard Pratt Health System P.O.Box 6815 Baltimore, MD 21285-6815 U.S.A. Tel: 410 938 3180 Fax: 410 938 3183 Email: [email protected] back to 2001 Annual Report