The main objective of the project was to strengthen the resilience, self-awareness, and self-care competencies of youth workers and professionals working with traumatised young people. This was achieved through the development of an evidence-based training curriculum and the delivery of practical training based on humanistic and Gestalt therapy approaches. Another key objective was to gain empirical insight into the needs, challenges, and working conditions of professionals in the youth and social sectors through surveys and stakeholder consultations. This ensured that project outputs were relevant and practice-oriented. The project also aimed to raise awareness of vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout, while promoting the importance of self-care and organisational responsibility. In addition, sustainable outputs were developed, including a practical training handbook and a research-based publication, ensuring long-term usability and transferability. The project strengthened international cooperation and facilitated the exchange of best practices, supporting the development of shared approaches to trauma-informed youth work across partner countries.
The project was initiated in response to the need to better support youth workers who are increasingly exposed to traumatic experiences when working with vulnerable young people. Many prof. face risks such as vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion, while lacking structured training in self-care, resilience, and trauma-informed practice. At the same time, the integration of practical self-care approaches into youth work education and org. systems remains limited. The project addressed these needs by strengthening the competencies of professionals within social, educational, and health sectors, ensuring higher-quality support for traumatised youth. Based on research the project emphasised the importance of equipping professionals with both theoretical knowledge and practical self-care tools. It also highlighted that individual resilience must be supported by trauma-informed org. The project aimed to raise awareness of secondary traumatic stress in professional contexts, promoting interdisciplinary understanding. The project is grounded in the understanding that effective support for traumatised youth requires a holistic approach that also addresses the well-being and support systems of prof.