During May and June, the Network team in cooperation with the UNICEF Office conducted a series of workshops with professionals who work with children at risk, but also with children at risk themselves on the topic: Preserving the mental health of children and adolescents at risk.
Namely, the workshops for professionals were intended for the employees of the small group homes (MGD), that is, the JU for taking care of children with educational social problems and disturbed behavior (May 25) – Skopje, as well as for the employees of the Social Work Centers who are the guardians of the children from MGD and with the teachers, professors and professional staff in the schools where the children attend classes. 3 two-day workshops were held, which were attended by 48 professionals from 8 Social Work Centers and 7 schools, as well as MGD employees. Participants had the opportunity to work on topics such as:
- Developmental stages in adolescence and their impact on children at risk, children who did not grow up in a family environment, children who were victims of violence, children who were exposed to risky situations and traumas;
- Types of attachment and influence of surviving trauma in the formation of attachment;
- Recognition of the signs that indicate that support is needed, types of communication and creation of a safe environment for expressing the child at risk;
- Life positions – forming an attitude towards oneself and others and how to provide support to children at risk to form a positive attitude towards themselves and the environment;
- Specifics of communication with children and adolescents at risk and conflict resolution;
- Techniques for preserving the mental health of children and adolescents at risk.
In addition, workshops for children were conducted with 21 children from MGD, aged 14 to 18 years. Part of the workshops were held in the Civic Resource Center Skopje, and part in nature, that is, in Mavrovo. With the children, we worked on:
- Relationship with parents/family with whom they are still in contact;
- Leaving the house and independent life;
- Intimate relationships with peers (jealousy, trust)
- Mutual trust, friendship and support (adolescents from the same house, as well as socializing with other houses);
- Resilience, etc.
This activity was carried out within the project Path forward: solutions for a better response to the needs for mental health and psychosocial support for children and youth in S. Macedonia supported by UNICEF.
