Oleiros Borough won the Good Practices in Mental Health Award - Local Administration - 2019 created by the OPP - Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses (Order of Portuguese Psychologists) and Lisbon City Hall. Oleiros Town Hall was recognised by the “Programa de Apoio ao Luto”, Bereavement Support Programme. The project, which began in March 2015, takes a psychologist to the most remote places of this borough in the district of Castelo Branco to provide psychological support to residents who are in mourning.
On the 15 October, the borough’s psychologist, Rafaela Lopes,presented the project at the II Meeting of Local Authority Psychologists where the prize was also awarded.
Besides the Bereavement Support Programme, the following projects were also recognised: Valongo Borough (Porto District) with the project More Val - Better Learning, Innovation, and Success in Valongo; Livramento Parish Council (São Miguel, Azores) with the project Livramento Parish Council Office of Psychology and Community Intervention - The First Municipal Psychology Service in the Azores; and Vila Nova de Famalicão (Braga) Borough Council with its project GADI- Office of Assessment, Diagnosis, and Intervention.
This award recognises and rewards local authority psychologists and psychology services that have developed relevant and innovative projects in the various areas of psychological science. At the same time, it makes visible and demonstrates the importance of psychologists in providing the best services to all citizens.