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Description
The project aims to optimise the organisational performance of ISJD – Instituto São João de Deus, its capacity for intervention and social impact and long-term sustainability through the training of at least 50 elements of the different management and government bodies of the S. João de Deus Institute in the scope of advocacy, management and leadership of teams; the definition, in an integrated and collaborative manner, of a Sustainability Policy and a Social Marketing Plan; and the implementation of a pilot exercise of a community information and awareness campaign on mental health and illness.
Summary of project results
Throughout its almost 130 years of intervention, the Institute ISJD – Instituto São João de Deus has grown and evolved, in scope and scale, and is today a nationally recognized organization in mental health and psychiatric, long-term care and palliative care. ISJD currently manages 8 Care Centers (5 in mainland Portugal, 3 in the islands), with a team of 1,079 people and 120 volunteers, who together provide a daily response to around 1,750 beneficiaries, mostly people living with a mental health problem or dementia. This institutional growth, coupled with the new demands of social health responses, which are increasingly challenging, with high variability and unpredictability, has posed various challenges to its strategic positioning and communication, as well as its capacity for long-term planning. As a result of an extensive internal participatory process, which involved facilitating off-site sessions in each Care Center and working meetings at the head office with representatives from each of these Centers, Functional Center and Functional Area, an integrated analysis was carried out of ISJD''s current situation. This analysis included all dimensions of its action, as a basis for the process of defining the Strategic Plan for the four-year period 2022-2026. From this analysis, needs emerged that require immediate intervention on the part of the organization, but ISJD assumed that it did not have the experience, knowledge or resources internally to resources to intervene. They therefore required an external capacity-building process that would enable the ISJD a more sustainable intervention and a more positive and robust impact on society and the lives of the people who benefit from its responses and who work or collaborate with it.
Throughout the implementation period of the Project, a range of activities were carried out to strengthen the São João de Deus Institute (ISJD) across various key dimensions. The project began with a diagnostic review process. This involved a detailed review of existing ISJD documents, individual interviews with key stakeholders, and visits to operational units to ensure a good understanding of the institution''s functioning. One of the primary focus areas was the development and implementation of a sustainability policy. This included analyzing strategic documents related to ISJD sustainability, identifying critical areas for improvement, and making recommendations for responsible management. Additionally, there was a review and enhancement of integration plans for the new governance model, identification of crucial decision-making points, and mapping of existing social projects. These activities involved not only supporting the creation of institutional documents but also training all top leadership in these intervention areas. In terms of training, two leadership training programs were created and implemented, one for middle management and another for unit coordinators, totaling 55 trainees. In the field of communication, a comprehensive strategic plan was developed to strengthen the ISJD brand and promote greater awareness of mental health issues. This included creating a Social Marketing Plan and developing a community mental health awareness campaign, which involved producing a video and creating an informative website. All activities were conducted in parallel with regular monitoring and follow-up meetings between project teams, consulting teams, and the ISJD Management. Two project presentation events were also organized to showcase its objectives, activities, and results.
The project created a Sustainability Policy with the identification of areas for improvement and recommendations for responsible management, some of them already are taking place; held training sessions for middle management (55 workers completed the training); created a Social Marketing Plan, and developed an Awareness Campaign to combat the stigma associated with mental health and illness, which reached around 3,000 people. The impact of this initiative was significant, increasing ISJD''s recognition and reputation in the community and community and improving public understanding of mental health issues.
Overall, the Sustainability 360 Project has had a transformative impact not only on ISJD, but also on the community the organization serves. Improvements in the areas of governance, sustainability, leadership and communication have strengthened ISJD''s ability to provide high-quality services and positively and positively impact the lives of thousands of people in situations of vulnerability each year, particularly and positively impact the lives of thousands of people in situations of vulnerability every year, particularly as all the activities developed have a huge potential for performative impact on the organization''s future practices and services.