EQUICARES NoI Launch Online Event

On Wednesday, 18 February, the EQUICARES project organised the online launch of its Network of Interest (NoI) through a 90-minute webinar. The event was aimed at experts and stakeholders working in mental health and care services, policy, research, and related fields across Europe. Held online, the launch marked the formal start of engagement with the NoI and provided a shared entry point for collaboration within the project.

The webinar presented the EQUICARES project, its objectives, and its implementation approach, alongside early results from ongoing research activities. Participants were informed about identified barriers and facilitators to accessing mental healthcare for people in vulnerable situations in European countries, as well as the findings from a Delphi exercise on mitigation and prevention strategies. The session outlined how these findings will guide the project’s next research, policy, and tool-development phases.

A key focus of the event was the role of the NoI and the need for active participation from its members. The NoI is designed to support knowledge exchange, dissemination, and strategic input throughout the project lifecycle. Participants were introduced to concrete opportunities for involvement, including thematic events, interviews contributing to an accessibility assessment framework, and capacity-building activities such as co-creation workshops, MOOCs, and a small-scale citizens’ project.

Through the NoI, EQUICARES aims to strengthen the relevance, quality, and impact of its work on equitable mental health and care services across Europe.