Greece
Thessaloniki
Lead Partner: SEERC

The EQUICARES pilot use case in Thessaloniki, Greece, focuses on addressing the mental health needs of older adults and migrants. The project aims to identify mental health challenges within these groups, explore barriers and enablers to accessing care, and co-create solutions with local vulnerable actors. Key challenges include social isolation among older adults, a lack of culturally appropriate and trauma-informed services for migrants, and limited digital inclusion in health care. The project will gather data on mental health access, identify key obstacles, and test pilot solutions. Activities will include a literature review, focus groups, and the implementation of innovative solutions within local communities.

Attica area
Lead Partner: GIVMED

The EQUICARES pilot use case in the Attica region, Greece, focuses on addressing the mental health needs of youth aged 18–25 and unaccompanied children. The project aims to identify mental health challenges within these groups, explore barriers and enablers to accessing care, and co-create solutions with local vulnerable actors. Key challenges include transition-related stress, substance use risk and social isolation among young people, and trauma, legal complexity, and service discontinuity among unaccompanied children. The project will gather data on mental health access, identify key obstacles, and test pilot solutions. Activities will include a literature review, focus groups, and the implementation of innovative solutions within local communities.

Türkiye
Lead Partner: KOC University

The EQUICARES pilot use case in the Hatay sub-region of Türkiye focuses on addressing the mental health needs of populations affected by the devastating Turkey-Syria earthquake of February 2023, particularly women and older adults. The project aims to assess the disaster's psychological impact, identify barriers to care, and develop tailored strategies for these groups. By implementing innovative solutions like AI-driven tools and community-based interventions, the project seeks to strengthen mental health support, improve resilience, and inform future disaster response strategies. Activities include needs assessments, capacity building, community interventions, and policy development to enhance mental health services and preparedness for future crises.

Spain
Lead Partner: FISEVI

The EQUICARES pilot use case in Seville, Spain, focuses on improving mental health access for people in vulnerable situations, particularly Roma women and migrants.
The project aims to co-create innovative solutions that enhance accessibility to mental health services while addressing challenges like substance abuse, anxiety, discrimination, and poverty.
Through community-based approaches and public-private partnerships, the project will combat stigma, promote well-being, and increase cultural sensitivity in service delivery.
Activities include mapping existing services, co-creating solutions, conducting interviews and workshops, and monitoring the impact of interventions to ensure sustainability and scalability of the EQUICARES lab and its outcomes.

France
Lead Partner: L’ADAPT

The EQUICARES pilot use case in Évreux, Normandy, France, focuses on improving mental health services for people with psychic and intellectual disabilities. The project aims to identify local barriers to mental health access, co-create innovative solutions with stakeholders, and empower people in vulnerable situations through awareness campaigns and capacity-building initiatives. Key challenges include social exclusion, discrimination, financial constraints, and long waiting times for services. The initiative will gather data through interviews, focus groups, and literature reviews to inform the creation of a Smart Health Lab in Évreux. The lab will feature an AI-based assistant for personalised mental support, with the goal of improving equitable access and providing policy recommendations for long-term impact.

Bulgaria
Lead Partner: Center AMALIPE

The EQUICARES pilot use case in North-Central Bulgaria focuses on improving mental health services for the Roma community and ethno-religious minorities in the municipalities of Pavlikeni and Strazhitza.
The project aims to gather data, identify barriers to mental health access, and develop evidence-based solutions with the active involvement of the local community.
Key challenges include high unemployment, discrimination, limited medical services, and a lack of adequate mental health support.
The initiative will increase mental health and digital literacy, raise awareness, and create sustainable solutions through co-creation workshops, AI-driven tools, and Smart Health Labs.

Germany
Lead Partner: ZI

The EQUICARES pilot in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, focuses on improving mental health and digital literacy among elderly individuals, particularly elderly migrants.
The project addresses the challenge of inadequate mental health services for migrants and refugees, aiming to raise awareness and foster inclusive care practices.
Activities include stakeholder mapping, co-creation workshops, establishing Smart Health Labs, and implementing an AI-Chatbot pilot.
The project will assess the effectiveness of these interventions and ensure their sustainability, ultimately enhancing mental health literacy for elderly migrants in Mannheim and promoting inclusive care design.

Ireland
Lead Partner: LGBTI

The EQUICARES pilot use case in Ireland focuses on addressing the mental health needs of the LGBTQIA+ community in CHO Area 6. The project aims to identify key challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals, such as high rates of self-harm and suicide attempts, exacerbated by both external factors (e.g., societal rejection and discrimination) and internal struggles (e.g., shame and fear). The initiative will provide culturally competent mental health resources, train professionals to better support LGBTQIA+ individuals, and advocate for their inclusion in the national HSE Digital Strategy. Activities are underway to engage stakeholders, establish the Smart Health Lab, and test the AI-based assistant with the LGBTQIA+ community.