Celebrate innovation in mental health treatment & recovery.
- CHT Comms Team
- Apr 17
- 3 min read
Do you have insights about the power of relationships in mental health recovery or a piece of groundbreaking research in relational practice to share? Consider submitting your work to the Elly Jansen Award!
Advances in mental health treatment and recovery are driven by people and organisations implementing innovative strategies that improve the outcomes for those experiencing mental distress.
A notable pioneer in this field is Elly Jansen OBE, who opened her first therapeutic community in Richmond in 1959 for adults with mental health challenges. Over the next two decades, she established more than 100 therapeutic communities worldwide, advocating for their transformative power in recovery. Although now retired, Elly's commitment to advancing therapeutic practices continues to inspire many in the field.
The Elly Jansen Award, established by Community Housing and Therapy and funded by Elly, aims to encourage new research and recognise inspiring writing that explores creative approaches to therapeutic communities and relational practice. The Award also provides a valuable platform for voices in the field, including new writers and those from international communities, to share their insights and experiences.
Contribute your experience and insight
If you have a story or insights to share about the theories and practices of therapeutic communities or related fields like Psychologically Informed Environments (PIEs) and Enabling Environments (EEs), consider submitting your article!
By sharing your thoughts, experiences, and research, you can inspire others and contribute to the celebration of innovative therapeutic practices. We are also offering a first prize of £1,000 and publication in the International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, and two runner-up prizes of £500 each.
The joy of sharing an innovative project
Previous winners, Elisa Mingarelli and Patrizia Erlicher from Fondazione Rosa dei Venti onlus, share how meaningful the Elly Jansen Award has been for their work.
"Winning the Elly Jansen Award not only comes with a valuable cash prize but also offers many emotional and practical benefits: a feeling of being a part of a larger community, the TCTC community, where we can share ideas and practical ways to manage the challenging work of a therapeutic community; the possibility to opening up dialogue between different countries and cultures looking at the same themes and sharing practices; the joy of sharing an innovative project!
Elly Jansen's commitment to helping people is an example of the enduring strength that is necessary to continue. The process of envisioning a new project, bringing it to life, reflecting on it, and sharing experiences with colleagues from various countries is another significant benefit of receiving this prize. We are grateful for this possibility and experience that the Award brought to our staff and the wider community."
The entry deadline is midnight UK Time on Sunday, June 15, 2025. You can find out more about entering the awards here.
What makes a good article?
An article is a piece of writing with an introduction, a middle section, and a conclusion, and submissions can range from 4,000 to 7,000 words. There are different types of articles you can submit, including;
Academic Paper: Share original research or findings that contribute to the knowledge base in mental health.
Case Study: Share real or hypothetical case studies from organisations which can be used for teaching
Personal experience / Commentary / Response - Offer a personal viewpoint or experience, or response to current practices or theories in the field
Literature review. Review of literature in a field, critiquing or annotating it.
A technical paper which evaluates technical products or processes relevant to therapeutic settings.
Conceptual paper, which discusses ideas, usually based on theories or comparisons of others’ work.
A general overview or historical look at a concept or process.
You can find out more about entering the awards here.