In the long term, VfMH hopes to be able to hand over our work to the hospital. VfMH will no longer need to send volunteers as the service will be managed, staffed and funded by Romanians

The hospital will run a programme of therapeutic activities with the patients, focussed on each individuals goals and values. The hospital will work with each patient to support them to live and manage their own lives to their fullest potential in spite of ongoing illness or social difficulties. For some individuals, this may mean they receive support to work towards moving into the community, perhaps by helping them to develop the skills they will need to survive outside of the hospital or to rebuild links with families and community organisations. For others, this may mean offering opportunities to exert control over their lives in hospital, patients will be able to decide how they manage their time and will have access to facilities and interventions that will improve their quality of life.

We recognise that this is a long way off and have no immediate plans to withdraw our volunteer program, however it is still something we aspire to and are actively working towards

We have recently been successful in appointing a volunteer co-ordinator; a local person experienced in working with people who use mental health services. The co-ordinator is responsible for running the patients' club, supervising the volunteers and acting as liaison between the hospital, the charity and the patients.
You can read more about this under 'progress'

In addition to their day to day work (see 'role of the volunteer') Volunteers are encouraged to maintain positive relationships with hospital staff, consider how they may contribute towards the longer term aims of VfMH and ensure that the positive impact of their work continues after their placement has finished
You can read more about some of the progressive work done by the volunteers under 'projects'