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Initiative

For the Mental Empowerment of children and adolescents in the Northern Aegean

For the Mental Empowerment of children and adolescents in the Northern Aegean
SUBMITTED FROM:

Child and Adolescent’s Center

Child and Adolescent΄s Center is the largest non-profit company in Greece based in the province and in fact on the remote island of Chios and one of the most dynamic organizations in the field of mental health in the country. In its 26 years of operation (founded in 1996) it has supported 9,364 children, adolescents, adults with developmental, emotional and psychiatric difficulties and their families. Our vision: A world that talks about mental health comfortably and recognizes, understands and accepts the diversity of people with psychiatric / psychological / developmental disorders.


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Objective Action

We traveled to Chios, Samos, Lesvos and Lemnos and contributed to the mental empowerment of 340 children, teenagers and parents, through experiential workshops and actions.

The program of the Child and Adolescent Center aimed to strengthen the factors that contribute to strengthening the mental resilience of children and adolescents through experiential workshops. Connecting with others, self-care, meaning-making, problem-solving, goal-setting, dysfunctional thoughts, optimism, and strengths from the past are themes worked on.


At the same time, the program provided a coordinated intervention in the child's environment and strengthening of intersectoral coordination (parents, teachers, medical staff, health services, etc.). The purpose was both to inform and raise the awareness of the general population about mental health and to mobilize, to learn factors that strengthen the mental resilience of children and young people (individual factors, family factors, factors in relation to the community).


The program also informed about the importance of seeking help, which is vital for building resilience, where a mental health professional can indicate appropriate ways and strategies to develop resilience. The program was implemented with the support of the Bodosakis Foundation as part of the Thematic Donations Program.
 

 

Target Audience

Remote islanders feel and experience exclusion from mental health or mental empowerment services. The mental health services provided, public or private, in the Northern Aegean, differ significantly from island to island, while the provided means of movement between the islands, as well as within the islands (lack of regular transport to remote villages, ferry connections that are often interrupted in the winter months due to adverse weather conditions, etc.), make access to services unfavorable, particularly tiring or even impossible, with the result that any coverage of needs is gradually interrupted or done in a piecemeal manner.

The program "Mental Empowerment of Children and Adolescents who live on remote islands of the Northern Aegean" lasted 8 months (1/9/2023 – 31/5/2024) and concerned interventions for the mental empowerment of children, adolescents and their parents on the islands of Chios, Samos, Lesvos and Lemnos and to services and agencies of the above islands that also serve children from the surrounding islands (Oinusses, Psara, Ikaria, Fournos, Thymaina and the island of Agios Efstratiou) but also throughout Greece.

3 mental health professional level trips took place where for 5 days, on each island, experiential workshops and actions were held for children, teenagers and parents and meetings with local community bodies. The program was also held in Chios where the Child and Adolescent Center is based.
 

 

Duration

Total program duration 9 months: 1/9/2023 – 31/5/2024.


Description

The program implementation team held meetings with agencies (local government, teachers' associations, parents' associations, medical associations, etc.) in the context of strengthening cooperation and interconnection with a view to well-being (especially the protection of the rights of children and adolescents), informing and raising awareness in matters of mental health and the mental empowerment of children and adolescents.

The meetings took place on the central islands of the North Aegean, Chios, Samos, Lesvos and Lemnos, which also represent and serve the smaller islands of Oinousses, Psara, Ikaria, Fournos, Thymaina and on the island of Agios Efstathios.

The program included the following actions:

1. Visits / Liaison with local public and private bodies in the context of prevention & awareness.

2. Cycle of 5 Workshops for children & teenagers

• Expanding and Cultivating empathy, a key source of mental resilience, through fairy tales.

• Strengthening the mental resilience of the student population with or without special educational needs through teaching through image & technology.

• Conflict management.

• Psychoeducation for Anxiety / Management Techniques.

• Career Guidance - Career Counseling & Personal Development.

3. Experiential Workshop for parents

4. Parent-Child Groups / Debate

5. Meetings of Parents with experts for Counseling Directions

6. Complete Personalized programs of Professional Orientation, Career Counseling & Personal Development

7. 6 podcasts type audio files

8. Manual of Mental Empowerment for children & teenagers


The actions of the program contained the element of innovation and pioneering, as the program continues to provide benefits even after its termination and can be a good practice internationally for island countries and regions.

Empowering the children and teenagers who participated in the program, in relation to mental resilience, helps them not only to be stronger and achieve a more optimistic outlook on life, but also to stand and act as a role model for their peers. They will become ambassadors of the value of life and more aware and responsible citizens of tomorrow for their local community and their own children.


The cross-sectoral empowerment of the local community in relation to mental resilience contributes to the community being more active in initiatives related to the mental health of its children and its members as a whole.

The results of the program were submitted as a Memorandum to the North Aegean Region and the OTAs of the islands and the Ministries of Health, Education and Social Cohesion and Family. The Memorandum describes the needs of the Northern Aegean islands for the field of Mental Health, with the aim of finding funding to cover future actions, to support the mental health of the islanders.

Also, the creation of 6 audio episodes added to the "digital library" of the Child and Adolescent Center (kpechios.org), aims to provide inspiration, personal development and mental empowerment.

The program and its results as well as informative material were shared in 4819 schools in the country.


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Impact on Society

Our interventions concerned 340 children/adolescents and parents from the islands of Chios, Samos, Lesvos and Lemnos who took part in the program's mental resilience strengthening actions. 119 parents from the islands of Chios, Samos, Lesvos and Lemnos participated in lifelong information and awareness activities in order to cultivate a climate and an attitude that will favor the mental resilience of their children within their family. 4,819 schools and at least 5,337 fellow citizens received information and awareness material for cultivating the mental empowerment of children and adolescents
 



Initiative Location

Location and dates:
Chios 17 – 30/11/2023
Limnos 7 – 11/12/2023
Samos 1 – 5/2/2024
Lesvos 29/2 – 3/3/2024


Working with Organization


At least 50 agencies from all over Greece were informed and raised awareness of the issue of mental resilience in children and adolescents, of which 4416 are agencies representing the islands of Chios, Lesvos, Samos, Limnos, Oinoussa, Psara, Ikaria, Fourna , Thymainas and on the island of Agios Efstratios and they had lifelong information.
 


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Workers Participation

Τhe Program Implementation Team consisted of 7 professionals (3 psychologists, 2 special educators, 1 administrative officer, 1 communication officer)
 


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Benefits for Οrganization

The benefits for the Child and Adolescent Center from the implementation of the program are that further channels of communication were opened with children, adolescents and their families, with agencies and specialists of different specialties in the public and private sectors, not only from the island of Chios, but and from the rest of the islands. Enriched the organization's knowledge and experience, developed solid partnerships and managed to openly discuss needs and create outreach methods.

 




Connection with Global Goals







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