Entries for the Elly Jansen Award 2026 are now open!

Therapeutic Communities are widely recognised as an effective therapeutic tool for people facing challenges, including mental health issues and addiction.

Launched in 2023, the Elly Jansen Award celebrates innovation and creative approaches to therapeutic communities and relational practice.

The Award is a legacy of the late Elly Jansen OBE, a pioneer in the field of mental health and who cared passionately about making the work of therapeutic communities more widely known.

There are two award categories:

The Award for Original Articles

This Award is for any written work about the ideas, practices, or your own experiences with therapeutic communities or relational practice.

The winner of the Original Articles Award will receive a cash prize of £1,000, will have their work published and shared through the Elly Jansen Award channels, and will be invited to present their article at the prestigious TCTC conference in the UK, organised by our friends at The Consortium for Therapeutic Communities. Two runners-up will be awarded a cash prize of £500.

The Award for Research Proposals

This Award aims to encourage new research into the effectiveness of therapeutic communities and relational practice, including through historical research.

The winner of the Research Proposal Award will receive a cash prize of £5,000, will have their proposal published and shared through the Elly Jansen Award website and newsletter, and will be invited to present their initial findings at the TCTC conference.

The Awards are judged by a committee of leading voices experienced in therapeutic communities ​​from countries including Italy, India, Japan, the USA and the UK, including people with lived experience, therapists, academics, and social workers.

The closing date for both awards is Sunday, 3rd May. Find out more at www.ellyjansenaward.org