Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights
"Since 2022 I have been a member of the Expert Commission for Mental Health Protection and that's all I can write, as the scope of the commission's work and topics discussed are confidential. I can only write that it's one of the two most important social activities for me. "
Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights
About the Expert Commission for Mental Health Protection
The Expert Commission for Mental Health Protection operates under the auspices of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich) — the highest constitutional authority in Poland responsible for safeguarding citizens’ rights and freedoms. The commission brings together psychiatrists, psychologists, legal experts, patient advocates, and people with lived experience to advise on systemic issues affecting mental health care in Poland. Membership in this body is by invitation and reflects a recognition of substantive contribution to the field.
Why this matters
Poland faces a severe crisis in mental health care, particularly for children and adolescents. There are fewer than 500 child psychiatrists serving a population of nearly 38 million. Waiting lists for outpatient appointments can stretch to several months, and emergency psychiatric wards are chronically overcrowded. The commission examines these systemic failures and works to develop recommendations that can inform legislative and administrative action. Topics include involuntary hospitalization procedures, patients’ rights in psychiatric facilities, access to community-based care, and the adequacy of public funding for mental health services.
The parent’s perspective at the table
While most commission members represent medical, legal, or academic backgrounds, the inclusion of a parent who has navigated the psychiatric system firsthand provides a perspective that institutional reports alone cannot capture. The gap between policy on paper and the reality experienced by families is often significant. Bringing that lived experience into formal advisory proceedings helps ensure that recommendations remain grounded in practical reality rather than abstract policy design.
A deeply personal commitment
Of all the social activities described on this website, membership in this commission is one of the two that carry the deepest personal significance. The work is confidential by design — the sensitive nature of the topics discussed requires discretion to protect the interests of patients and their families. What can be said is that this engagement represents a long-term commitment to improving a system that profoundly affects the most vulnerable members of society.