The European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care (EEG) welcomed Autism-Europe (AE) as full member of the organization in October 2018. It will allow AE to raise the voice of autistic people and their families and bring additional expertise in the group of experts to advocate and support the development of community-based services.
Fostering deinstitutionalisation and promoting community living solutions and good practices is an important part of Autism-Europe’s advocacy work as one of the founder of the European Coalition on Community Living. With this new membership in the EEG, Autism-Europe will ensure that the autistic needs are appropriately represented in the group.
Over the past years, Autism-Europe has supported community-based services by:
- contributing to the EU research report “Deinstitutionalisation and community living – outcomes and costs”;
- drafting its alternative report on the EU’s implementation of the CRPD, notably calling for an adequate use of EU funds to foster deinstitutionalization for persons with disabilities;
- responding to the consultation on the EU Social Pillar, calling for special attention to be paid to long-term support in the community, in line with the deinstitutionalisation process;
- and drafting recommendations for the EU institutions regarding an EU public health plan for autism, with the question of community living at its heart.
In terms of capacity building around deinstitutionalisation, Autism-Europe:
- regularly organises study visits for its members to explore community living initiatives for autistic people, and to promote the sharing of good practices across Europe;
- informs stakeholders about the principles of community living as enshrined in the CRPD, and shares pilot projects that aim for the highest possible independence and empowerment of autistic people with varying support needs.
The European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care
The European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care (EEG) is a broad coalition gathering stakeholders representing people with care or support needs and their families, including children, people with disabilities, homeless people, people experiencing mental health problems; as well as service providers, public authorities and intergovernmental organisations.
The Group has as its mission the promotion of person-centred, quality and empowering models of services and formal and informal care that fully respect the human rights of all people with care or support needs.
The Group provides expert support on EU policy, legislation and funding. All members of the Group provide a link to operational expertise at national, regional and local level through their direct involvement and the empowerment of their member organisations.