Mental health, homelessness and extreme exclusion putting the person first.
SMES Europa is a European network of professionals and organisations working where mental health, homelessness and social exclusion intersect. Since 1992, we have connected front-line services, cities, researchers and people with lived experience to promote dignity, rights and well-being for people in the most marginal situations.
Who we are
SMES Europa is an international non-profit association (AISBL under Belgian law) and a European network working at the interface of mental health and social exclusion. Founded in 1992 in Rome and based in Brussels, the network brings together services, professionals and experts who support people facing both severe mental distress and extreme poverty, including homelessness.
What we do
SMES Europa focuses on people who experience both serious mental distress and extreme forms of exclusion, such as:
- young people at risk, people with problematic use of alcohol or drugs, ex-prisoners and older people in situations of abandonment.
- people living on the streets, in squats, shelters or very unstable housing;
- people with mental health problems who have no adequate support;
- migrants and refugees without secure residence or access to services;
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Person First: from assistance to participation
Homelessness is rarely “only” about housing. For many people, it intersects with mental health needs,…
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Dignity & Well-Being: “exchange for changing”
Working with people facing homelessness and severe mental health difficulties demands more than technical competence.…
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Trauma-Informed Care and PIE: building safer services
Many people experiencing homelessness have lived through repeated trauma: violence, loss, coercion, long-term instability, and…
Promoting dignity and inclusion
By joining SMES Europa, you become part of a European community committed to improving the lives and rights of people facing homelessness, mental distress and extreme exclusion.