Project

Region	South Moravian Region
Title of the Programme	Health
Title of the Project	Early support - strengthening children and youth mental health through early support
Number of the Project	ZD-MGS1-031
Project Promoter	Práh jižní Morava, z.ú.
Project Partner from Donor State	Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet (Norwegian university of science and technology)
Czech Partner	N/A
Status	Estimated project duration: 12/2021 –12/2023
More Information	Target group: Children and adolescents at risk of developing mental health problems or already showing signs of mental illness Family members Educational staff  Counselling staff  Health professionals Web pages: https://www.prah-brno.cz/  https://www.facebook.com/prahjiznimorava
Total Eligible Costs	199 806 EUR
Grant	199 806 EUR

Project description:

The project aims at improving mental health of children and youth ( 11-19 years) in the city of Brno by means of creating a programe that includes an early detection, early support and afterwards care following a hospitalization. The transfer of knowledge from the Norwegian partner will lead to an improved ability of detection of the developing mental health difficulties in schools and to earlier connection of the children and youth with the social-medical Early Support Team. 

The team will provide an early support grounded in the approach of Ope Dialogue (OD) in schools and a selected inpatient facility. The early detection in schools will take place by means of a collaborating network of educational professionals and a targeted support offer in the form of a comic booklet. The team will actively cooperate with the children/youth department of the Psychiatric Clinic. 

By means of network meetings the team will connect to admitted children and youth at the inpatient ward and their relatives in order to support the recovery process after being released from the ward. Thanks to the training and consultations with the Norwegian partner, competences of the Early Support Team members in Open Dialogue (OD) will be strengthened. OD puts emphasis on the flexible and intensive support for both the person in crisis and her close ones. It aims at strengthening natural sources of mutual support that are present in families and broader communities. 

The team will cooperate with other medical and social services and educational organizations while using the obtained skills in network meetings and OD to directly support children and youth. By means of the programe the mental health of children and youth will be strengthened which will allow them a higher quality of life, maintaining important social contacts, finishing education and/or finding a meaningful role in the society. Therefore the programe will contribute to lowering the risk of chronification of mental health difficulties.