The development of values-based practice internationally presents particular challenges in different parts of the world. We are thus delighted that a number of colleagues have offered to lead for their country or region. 

If you are interested in joining us in this role please contact Bill Fulford or Ashok Handa via the contact us page.

Guilherme Messas – Brazil

Guilherme Messas MD, PhD., is a Psychiatrist and Professor at Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences. He is Head of the Postgraduate Program on Phenomenological Psychopathology at the same institution. In addition to his clinical work he has been closely involved with policy on substance misuse at national and state levels. He is interested in developing training in Values Based Practice for substance misuse care and policies.

Guilherme is Lead for VBP in Brazil. In this role he runs the Brazilian Network for Values-based Practice

Preferred contact: guilherme.messas@fcmsantacasasp.edu.br

Links: Web site: https://guilhermemessas.com/

Arnaud Plagnol – France

Arnaud Plagnol is a psychiatrist and professor of psychology at Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis (France), with a clinical attachment at Foyer d’Accueil Médicalisé Toulouse-Lautrec (Aulnay-sous-Bois, France). He is the author or co-author of several books on the construction of subjective/inner worlds and its clinical applications. His current interests are focused on the exploration of the inner worlds (with its epistemological and clinical difficulties), especially to take fully into account the values of persons in care. To read more visit the individual partner profile. 

Arnaud Plagnol is the editor (with Bernard Pachoud & Bernard Granger) of the translation in French of Essential Values-Based Practice: Clinical Stories Linking Science with People (Fulford, Peile & Caroll, 2012), under the title La clinique fondée sur les valeurs : de la science aux personnes (Editions Doin, 2017).He has published the first texts presenting values based practice to French clinicians (see entries under ‘Plagnol’ in the WikiVBP Library).

Preferred contact: arnaud.plagnol@iedparis8.net

Werdie van Staden – South Africa

Werdie van Staden is Nelson Mandela Professor of Philosophy and Psychiatry and director of the Centre for Ethics and Philosophy of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, with a clinical attachment as honorary psychiatrist at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital. He is chair of the World Psychiatric Association’s Section for Philosophy and Humanities in Psychiatry.

Werdie has been teaching Values Based Practice (VBP) since 2003 to medical students as well as medical specialists and various kinds of health practitioners for purposes of their continued professional development. He has been developing and publishing on an African version of VBP, premised on a batho pele orientation.

Werdie is the Lead for VBP in South Africa.

Preferred contact: cwvanstaden@icon.co.aza

Michael Wong – Hong Kong

Michael TH Wong, MD PhD, is Clinical Professor and Head of Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine,The University of Hong Kong. Michael is trained in clinical neurosciences, theology and philosophy and has been promoting dialogues between evidence-based and values-based approaches to the practice of psychiatry, which he summarises in his monograph Ricoeur and the Third Discourse of the Person: From Philosophy and Neuroscience to Psychiatry and Theology (Lexington Press, 2018)

Michael is the Lead for VBP in Hong Kong. He currently also serves as an Advisor to the Chinese Health Foundation of Australia and Secretary to the World Psychiatric Association’s Section for Philosophy and Humanities in Psychiatry.

Preferred contact: mthwong@hku.hk
Link: https://www.psychiatry.hku.hk/michael.htm