From the JAEC Foundation: On the 31st of March, the JAEC Foundation, in collaboration with SO-PSY, the Swiss Society of Social Psychiatry, submitted the candidacy of Dr. Birgitta Alakare for the Geneva Prize for Human Rights in Psychiatry (www.geneva-prize.ch).
Dr. Alakare’s work in social psychiatry is remarkable and visionary. Thanks to her courage, intelligence, sensitivity and innovative spirit, the OPEN DIALOGUE approach was established in Western Lapland, where she was the head psychiatrist during the 1980s.
Dr. Alakare was always mindful of how to be the psychiatrist, and at the same time an equal team member, even knowing that she had more ‘power’ to take decisions, including enforcing decisions. She always considered that her reflections and opinions regarding diagnosis, prescription medication, and hospitalization should be discussed in the team meetings and should carry the same weight as the opinions of the other team members. At the same time, being the doctor, taking decisions continued to be her responsibility.
