Implementing the World Health Organization’s QualityRights Guidance at a Hospital in Connecticut, USA: How it Started, How it’s Going

Leigh Nathan](https://www.narpa.org/bios/nathan), M.D., [Kimberly Horowitz](), J.D., R.S.S., and Javeed Sukhera, M.D.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) QualityRights Initiative guides hospitals and social service delivery systems in implementing “a human rights and recovery approach in the area of mental health in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other international human rights standards.” (WHO, 2012) In January 2023, Institute of Living (IOL)/Hartford Hospital announced the first US-based partnership with the WHO QualityRights Initiative with the aim of reducing coercive practices. The IOL’s strategies to achieve this include (1) centering people with lived and living experience, (2) partnering with patients, families, and advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, and (3) presenting findings and trends in a timely and transparent manner. In this workshop we will present the QualityRights framework and the IOL’s progress to date on adopting the guidance.

Learning goals/Objectives:
Participants will gain:

1. Familiarity with the World Health Organization’s Quality Rights Initiative.
2. Understanding of the progress of the Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut in adopting the Quality Rights guidance and Toolkit.
3. Understanding the WHO’s guidance on legal or decisional capacity and informed consent.