Many schools develop programs dedicated to students' social skills, with tools and guides targeting children and young students, in order to improve their mental health and their insertion in adult life. Several training curricula on social skills and competencies have been released in favour of students, financed by European, national or regional funds, but at the present stage there is no evidence of specific curriculum for youth workers who support young people with mental health disorders. In this context, the project objectives are: 1. Deepen knowledge about Youth Workers needs and competencies in their work with young people with mental health problems; 2. Valorising the relevance of social and emotional competencies among young people with mental health disease; 3. Create a European Framework of Competences for Youth Workers, strengthening their capacity to support social and emotional competencies among young people with mental health disorders; 4. Increase the quality of informal and non-formal learning in the caring relationships between youth workers and young people; 5. Improve the competencies of professionals and non-professionals who operate in this field; 6. Facilitate the access to training on social and emotional competences of young people by local communities (teachers, practitioners, etc.); 7. Improve the well being of young people increasing awareness of social and emotional competencies in their life. The participating organizations read as follows: - The International Di Liegro Foundation (applicant organization) has a cultural proposal of education and orientation for families and volunteers and it has gradually developed interventions to prepare the volunteers to interact with and supporting person with mental disease. It has previous experiences in EU projects and organizes several informal and non-formal learning activities for young people and for adult citizen. -The Center for promoting lifelong learning – CPIP - is a non-governmental, non-profit institution active in the educational and social field, that realized projects on various social and educational topics in Romania; - IASIS NGO, born in 2005, is a NGO that provide therapeutic, counselling services and psychosocial support to people with problems of mental health. Beside offering housing and day center services, this NGO provides psychiatric care to adults with mental health problems and their families, also organizing the reintegration into the society, and it is a leading institution for the rehabilitation of people with severe mental disorders in Greece; -The ASL Rome 1 coordinates, implements and evaluates psychiatric de-institutionalization initiatives. It has key institutional role within the Consultative bodies of Mental Health Public Department, Citizens’ representatives and Regional Government regard to social policies, together with policy makers and other stakeholders. For young people aged 14 to 25, ASL Roma 1 offers integrated facilities and services through the “Prevention Center and Early Mental Health Intervention” which specifically targets young people between the ages of 14 and 25; - Merseyside Expanding Horizons is not-for-profit organization working with social inclusion in UK. The working areas of this NGO are numerous, at EU and local level, and MHE has a rich experience in supporting individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to fully participate in society through adult learning and helps people with mental health problems to develop their skills and competences. The results of YOU.PRO.ME. are as follows: - A European survey on Youth Workers needs about competencies and on needs of social and emotional competencies of young people with mental disorders; - A Competency Framework of Youth Workers, to define Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes and Values on developing social and emotional competencies of young people with mental health issues; - Handbook on the competencies of Youth Workers on mental health, for their empowerment in their work and personal life; - Friendly-Toolbox to involve young people with mental health problems to develop social and emotional Competencies; - An e-based Open Educational Resource (OER) addressed to Youth Workers and to a wider community of educators, trainers, youth practitioners whose aim is to share tools around the question of social and emotional competences when mental health of young people is concerned The incorporation of social and emotional competencies in the new portfolio of competencies of the Youth Workers as a resource for assisting young people with mental health disorders can be one of the major impact at regional, national and even at a European level. We expect that YOU.PRO.ME will produce innovation, though the transfer of the outputs across organizations, services and into the wider community at a European level.
1. Approfondire la conoscenza dei bisogni e delle competenze degli operatori giovanili nel loro lavoro con i giovani con problemi di salute mentale; 2. Valorizzare la rilevanza delle competenze sociali ed emotive tra i giovani con malattie mentali; 3. Creare un quadro europeo delle competenze per gli operatori giovanili, rafforzando la loro capacità di supportare le competenze sociali ed emotive tra i giovani con disturbi mentali; 4. Aumentare la qualità dell'apprendimento informale e non formale nelle relazioni di cura tra operatori giovanili e giovani; 5. Migliorare le competenze di professionisti e non professionisti che operano in questo campo; 6. Facilitare l'accesso alla formazione sulle competenze sociali ed emotive dei giovani da parte delle comunità locali (insegnanti, operatori, ecc.); 7. Migliorare il benessere dei giovani aumentando la consapevolezza sulle competenze sociali ed emotive nella loro vita.
I dati dell'OMS mostrano che il 10-20% dei bambini e degli adolescenti soffre di sindromi depressive e neuropsichiatriche. La malattia mentale tende a manifestarsi tra l'adolescenza e la vita adulta. La metà di tutte le malattie mentali inizia all'età di 14 anni e tre quarti entro la metà degli anni '20. Le condizioni neuropsichiatriche sono la principale causa di disabilità ed esclusione sociale tra i giovani in tutte le regioni. Se non trattata, queste condizioni influenzare gravemente lo sviluppo dei giovani, i loro risultati scolastici e il loro potenziale per vivere una vita appagante e produttiva. Bambini e giovani con disturbi mentali affrontano grandi sfide con lo stigma, l'isolamento e la discriminazione, nonché la mancanza di accesso all'assistenza sanitaria e strutture educative, in violazione dei loro diritti umani fondamentali. L'elevata prevalenza di problemi di salute mentale vissuti dai giovani e la loro riluttanza a cercare cure professionali per la salute mentale sono ampiamente riconosciuti. Al contempo non esistono specifici curricula formativi per gli operatori giovanili che si confrontano con giovani affetti da disturbi mentali. Quali sono i metodi e le competenze da mettere in gioco in questo campo?