Towards a community-based model of mental health care in Poland: findings of the rapid assessment

Overview

The report “Towards a community-based model of mental health care in Poland: findings of the rapid assessment” presents the results of an assessment conducted by the WHO Regional Office for Europe at the request of the Ministry of Health of Poland. The assessment engaged a broad range of stakeholders across Poland, including representatives of community mental health centres, national and local health authorities, mental health professionals, NGOs, and service users. The goal was to evaluate the country’s readiness to scale up the community-based model of mental health care nationwide, building on the experience of the Pilot Programme on Mental Health Centres. The assessment explored existing strengths, ongoing barriers, and stakeholder priorities, with a focus on the alignment of governance, service delivery, financing, and workforce development. More broadly, the report aims to clarify the strategic and operational steps needed to complete the transition towards a community-based model of mental health care. It identifies critical gaps in coordination, care navigation, clinical standards, and data monitoring, and proposes actionable directions to support equitable, person-centred, and recovery-oriented mental health services throughout Poland.