A groundbreaking initiative titled “Rights, Services, and Participation: Fostering a Comprehensive Mental Health Framework in Armenia” has been implemented since January 2024 with the support of the European Union. The project brings together four leading Armenian civil society organizations (CSOs) — the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor (HCAV), the Democracy Development Foundation (DDF), the Disability Rights Agenda (DRA) NGO, and the Armenian Mental Health Association (AMHA). Together, they are addressing systemic gaps in Armenia’s mental health sector by strengthening policies, piloting and expanding services, challenging stigma and discrimination.

The overall goal of the project is to support the integration of a rights-based approach in mental health by creating policies and mechanisms for accessible, inclusive, and evidence-based mental health services and favorable public attitude towards mental health issues in Armenia.

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly–Vanadzor (HCAV), as the lead applicant, coordinates the project and ensures that a rights-based approach underpins all actions. With decades of experience in human rights protection and monitoring institutional care, HCAV leads the evaluation of Armenia’s mental health legislation and policies, producing evidence-based recommendations for reform. It spearheads domestic and international advocacy, including contributions to UN human rights mechanisms and the EU-Armenia Human Rights Dialogue. HCAV also strengthens public monitoring mechanisms, empowers journalists to cover mental health sensitively, and works with Yerevan State Medical University to integrate human rights into psychiatric education.

Democracy Development Foundation (DDF), drawing on its legacy from the Open Society Foundations–Armenia, is the project’s engine for grant-making and collective action. It manages ten subgrants to third parties that pilot innovative services, including mobile mental health teams, peer-support initiatives, and psychosocial programs for vulnerable groups. DDF also coordinates the drafting of Armenia’s first Mental Health Law, organizes a Pan-European Mental Health Conference, and facilitates study visits for Armenian stakeholders to countries with progressive mental health practices. By convening diverse actors, DDF amplifies civil society’s collective advocacy power and fosters sustainable policy change.

Disability Rights Agenda (DRA) NGO, is specialized in disability rights and aims to promote, protect and monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the Republic of Armenia.. DRA ensures that people with lived experience are at the heart of policy change. It leads research on deinstitutionalization of people with mental health conditions and decentralization of mental health services and organizes platforms for service users and people with psychosocial disabilities to shape policy recommendations. DRA also runs capacity-building activities, enabling individuals to advocate for their rights independently, Through personal storytelling, advocacy campaigns, and training, DRA challenges stigma and promotes inclusive participation.

Armenian Mental Health Association (AMHA) unites over 200 mental health professionals to promote evidence-based practices, and advance Professional Standards and Service Capacity. Within the framework of the program AMHA leads the development of early identification tools, clinical guidelines, and referral roadmaps for conditions such as PTSD, depression, ADHD, and postpartum disorders. AMHA strengthens the capacity of primary healthcare clinics and school staff across Armenia,  ensuring early detection and timely intervention. It also supervises the creation of a national mental health information platform, providing the public with accessible resources and service directories.

Together, these organizations are not simply reforming policies or expanding services. They are reshaping mindsets, tackling stigma, and fostering a vision of mental health care in Armenia where rights, services, and participation are inseparable pillars of a more inclusive society.