ĠEMMA is pleased to announce that it has developed a strategic partnership with Mental Health Services (MHS). The objective of this partnership is to assist, design and implement a financial capability programme for MHS service users – targeting persons with a mental health condition living in the community. The partnership aims towards improving service users’ financial literacy and independent functioning in the community, through workshops and guidebook.
During 2020, ĠEMMA and Mental Health Services, together with the HSBC Malta Foundation worked together on the development of a skills framework, workshop training programme for service users and a guidebook. The mental health and financial capability guidebook can be downloaded by clicking here.
The training material was piloted with a group of service users in November and December 2020. The pilot was led by ĠEMMA, the staff volunteers from HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c., and the MHS Floriana Rehabilitation Centre. A post-mortem of the pilot was carried out in early 2021 so that lessons learnt were taken onboard. This was followed by an online webinar for Mental Health Services professionals, directed to explain the mental health and financial capability programme as well as to raise awareness between the high correlation of lower income amongst persons with a mental health condition and financial capability knowledge.
The first Mental Health and Financial Capability workshop for service users will be held as soon as COVID-19 rules allow for face-to-face gatherings.
ĠEMMA will continue to work on the 5 year strategic partnership with Mental Health Services in the implementation of this financial capability framework for persons with mental health conditions.
