Primary objective: The project aimed to help service users discover or rediscover the meaning in their lives, which could enhance their recovery journey and reintegration into society. By raising awareness of the importance of meaning in life, we hoped to empower service users to identify personal values, goals, and motivations that are essential for sustaining their recovery and overall well-being. Secondary objective: The project also focused on improving the skills of social workers, providing them with the knowledge and tools to initiate conversations about meaning in life. Through targeted training, we aimed to help social workers offer better guidance and support to service users, thereby contributing to their recovery processes. This aligns with the Erasmus+ priority of enhancing the competencies of educators and adult education staff. International cooperation: The project fostered international collaboration, bringing together partners from different countries to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and co-create solutions. This cooperation broadened the understanding of how meaning in life can be addressed across diverse cultural and social contexts.
The decision to apply for this small scale partnership stemmed from recognizing the vital role of meaning in life for the well-being and recovery of vulnerable individuals. The search for meaning in life often feels overwhelming and neglected. This concept is rarely addressed in social work and support services, despite its importance in recovery and decision-making. Through daily interactions, it's noticed that social workers often avoid the topic of meaning in life, finding it too abstract or complex to discuss with service users. This gap in engagement led to feelings of disconnection and alienation among service users. The project aimed to raise awareness about the significance of meaning in life, create tools to make this topic more accessible, and ultimately improve the lives of vulnerable individuals. Additionally, research among professionals revealed a lack of tools to facilitate conversations about meaning in life. Social workers expressed the need for practical resources to competently address this subject. This project focused on providing both service users and social workers with the tools and training needed to explore this topic in a meaningful way.