The specific objectives of the conference are to:
1. Promote successful mental health prevention/promotion policies and programmes as evidenced through the various European collaborative projects and to facilitate their implementation in particular in new Member States;
2. Strengthen national and local capacities for mental health prevention/promotion by sharing resources and mainstreaming mental health prevention/promotion into all relevant policy domains at EU and national level;
3. Enhance the involvement of civil society, private sector and academia stakeholders, and foster sustainable and collaborative commitments as regards actions for mental health prevention/promotion;

The conference is expected to be attended by 200 participants from 42 countries: delegates from each of the EU27 and Croatia, 4 EU candidate countries (Macedonia, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro), 4 members of EFTA (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein), 6 members of EU Eastern partnership (Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan). Given the conference status of fee waivers, it is envisaged that there will be strong representation from target participants.

Approximately 200 participants consist of:
- About 40% EU Member States and Croatia(2 experts = 56), EU candidate countries (2 experts = 8), EFTA Member States (2 experts = 8), EU Eastern partners (2 experts x 6 = 12)(approximately 82 participants)
- About 30% Ministry Staff and Local Authorities related to the field (approximately 60 participants)
- About 40% Universities/NGO’s active in the area of Mental Health (approximately 80 participants)

Main target groups for the Conference are:
- Policy-makers and key experts in government and in public institutions;
- Representatives of national and European agencies that have a vested interest in mental health promotion/prevention;
- Health, social, education professionals, researchers;
- Policy officers in non-governmental organizations and organizations that represent civil society, e.g. exposed risk groups and groups of victims.
The conference will enable policy-makers and professionals to share evidence as regards the impact of mental health issues on today’s society and solutions for creating a healthier Europe.

The conference will also establish a possibility for contacts exchange among EU Member States, candidate, EFTA and EU Eastern partnership countries, WHO representatives, NGO networks working.
Some delegates will be personally invited:
- Representatives from the national Ministries of Health;
- Invited experts and session speakers/ moderators;
- Members of national health committees and main organizer;

1st Day

08:30 – 10:00 Registration

10:00 – 10:30 Opening Session: Welcome speeches

10:30-11:00 Expert presentation:
"Pursuing mental health reforms through times of crisis: challenges and possibilities. State of play, priorities and perspectives in Member States and EU-policies."


11:00 – 11:30 Coffee/tea break

11:30 – 13:00 Plenary Session: Panel discussion with 10-15 min statements, then discussion

1. The macro-dimension: Investing in mental health - contribution to the sustainability of health and social systems, employment and productivity

2. Interventions and their benefits: evidence-based actions to prevent mental disorders, promote mental health and support people with mental disorders

3. Mental health in all policies: Protecting mental health requires coordinated action and early interventions through a number of sectors

4. Developing a framework for action: The Joint Action on Mental health and Well-being


13:00 – 14:30 Lunch

14:30 – 16:00 Mental Health of Children and Adolescents in focus: tackling risk factors, improving access to healthcare, building networks. Introductory presentation by an expert involved in CAMHEE

Issues to be addressed:
- Mental health problems and risk factors in young people
- The context of the crisis
- Solutions


Three parallel workshops:
• The stakeholder and the policy perspectives: good practice initiatives and policy initiatives in Member States
• Tackling risk factors: Youth violence – Preventing the cycles of Violence

• The scientific perspective: data, analysis, evidence-based actions

16:00 – 16:30 Coffee/tea break

16:30 – 17:30 Plenary Session:
• Reports from the parallel workshops
• General discussion

18:30 Dinner


2nd Day

9:00 – 09:30 Protecting mental health in difficult times: The need for a reiterated commitment to pursuing mental health policy objectives and values in times of crisis


09:30-10:30 Plenary Session: "Member States in focus: Policy responses turning the crisis into an opportunity"

Plenary debate including speakers from Member States presenting examples of continuing reform efforts

Options:
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Portugal
Greece
Czech Republic / Hungary
Italy
Romania

10:30 – 11:00 Coffee/tea break

11:00 – 12:30 EU-policies in focus: the contribution of EU policies to promoting and protecting mental health (examples of EU policy activities or of their uptake in Member States): Panel with three to four speaker making short statements

Examples to be chose from:
• Health Policy actions
• EU-social policy to combat poverty
• Education policy
• Occupational Health Policy
• Horizon 2020
• EU Structural Funds supported MS programmes
• children`s rights and human rights
• eHealth


12:30 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30-15:00 Plenary Session:
Conclusions: investing in mental health is important, how MS can work together and how the EU can support them. Next steps.

Adoption of a conference resolution tabled by the Lithuanian Presidency

15:00 – 15:30 Closing Remarks