On July 21-25, 2017, employees of the Public Defender's Office and members of the Special Preventive Group paid a study visit to the Republic of Armenia. The aim of the visit was to share the experience of monitoring of psychiatric institutions by employees of the Public Defender's Office and members of the Special Preventive Group of Georgia with representatives of the National Preventive Mechanism and the Independent Monitoring Boards (police and prison monitoring boards) of Armenia.

Within the study visit, participants were trained on topics, such as mental health services and patients' rights, international standards of monitoring psychiatric institutions, effective examination of psychiatric institutions. The training was led by Vladimir Ortakov, former member of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.

During the training, the members of the National Preventive Mechanism of Georgia introduced to their colleagues the methodology developed by them for monitoring the psychiatric institutions. In addition, the training participants paid a joint study visit to the Nubarashen psychiatric establishment.

The visit was organized and financed by the NGO - Penal Reform International.