My professional experience is focused onto development and evaluation of community-based services for people with severe mental illness. Within last 15 years I have worked on numerous regional projects in Central and Eastern Europe, combining clinical psychiatry expertise with experience in human rights monitoring, stigma evaluation and implementing destigmatisation activities. In 2001 together with colleagues first community centre for psychosocial rehabilitation for people with severe mental illness in Lithuania was established. This centre currently acts as an expert centre in Lithuania for implementing community based psychosocial interventions. Since 2002 at Vilnius university together with colleagues innovative teaching course on Public Mental health was introduced into curriculum.
During 2006-2011 at Vilnius university I have led seven international project as partner of EU funded international consortium research (acronyms: EQUAL, EMILIA, INDIGO, HELPS, ITHACA, ASPEN, SUPREME). I have 18 years of experience in clinical psychiatry, research and training of professionals in mental health. My activities focus on the development and evaluation of community-based services for people with severe mental illness, psychosocial rehabilitation, social psychiatry, suicide prevention, human rights and stigma due to mental disorders.