The Parlem EUIT project, launched in 2022, is delivered as part of the Mental Health Occupational Therapy course, a third-year subject of the Degree in Occupational Therapy. The project was conceived and proposed by Andrés Valencia, occupational therapist at the Sub-acute Psychiatry Unit (USA) of the Hospital Universitari Mútua de Terrassa (HUMT), and from its inception received the support of Professor Carmen Moratinos and Dr. Maria Kapanadze from EUIT Centre Universitari.

Over the years, the project has been progressively refined through content review and in response to the needs of the institutions involved, establishing itself as one of the innovative collaboration projects between the USA at HUMT and the University Community Care Clinic (SUTO).

Currently, the coordinating team responsible for the project’s continuity and development comprises Silvia Ramos, occupational therapist at the USA/HUMT and current coordinator and principal investigator of the research project — launched with the aim of exploring participation experiences in the University Service-Learning project (ApSU) — and Dr. Maria Kapanadze, research professor in the OCCARE group and co-coordinator of the project from EUIT Centre Universitari.

In this context, service users take on an active role as experts by experience, accompanying students throughout the learning process and contributing from their situated and lived knowledge.

The project also pursues more specific objectives, such as promoting reflective dialogue, identifying the dimensions of the recovery process, and recognising the competencies acquired by students, among others.