The 24-month project titled “TOGETHER - A whole family approach for young carers” lasts from the 1st of February 2020 to the 31st of January 2022 and is funded by Erasmus+ K2 programme. It is coordinated by Diakonisches Werk Berlin Stadtmitte (DWBS) in Germany, in cooperation with Social Cooperative Activities for Vulnerable Groups - K.S.D.E.O. “EDRA” (Greece), Carers Trust (UK), Anziani e Non-Solo Società Cooperativa Sociale – ANS (Italy) and Eurocarers – Association Européenne Travaillant Avec Et Pour Les Aidants Non-Professionnels (Belgium).

Young carers are children and young persons under 18 providing significant or substantial care, assistance or support to family members who have a disability, suffer from chronic illness, mental health challenges or any other condition associated with a need for care. As a result, they assume a level of responsibility that would usually be associated with an adult. As such, children who live with and care for parents or other family members who are ill or disabled may require support in their capacity as children and/or as young carers.

Young carers are still very much invisible. On one hand, significant proportion of young carers have not disclosed their caring responsibilities to their school, they are no more likely to be in contact with social services than are their peers, and only a minority have had an assessment of their needs or been informed about sources of help. On the other hand, many families do not recognise their children as ‘carers’, while some children do not recognise or identify with the role.

Building on this information, the TOGETHER project aims to support social inclusion and engagement of young carers, helping both young carers and professionals to adopt a whole family approach by:

1. encouraging members of the household (including the care-recipient) to communicate openly about the illness and caring
2. clearly explaining the condition of the care-recipients to the younger members of the family
3. helping relationship building within the family
4. encouraging professionals to take a whole-family approach when working with care recipients

The ultimate goal is to have an impact on families where there are caring responsibilities and where there is a young member, in order to prevent/reduce negative impacts on him/her, as well as improving his/her well-being, social inclusion and community engagement.

Website: https://togethereuproject.eu/

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Supporting practitioners to train Migrants in

Europe - Support Me

The “Support Me” project stems from the first DIME project (2015-2018): “Developing a referential of skills and training modules favoring the Inclusion of Migrants to Europe” with four Mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, Greece and France) that issued a competence framework and a set of training modules.

During the experimental phase of the DIME project, practitioners and especially volunteer trainers involved in the experimentation in the 4 partner countries expressed a strong urge for training and guidance. Implementing a DIME-based programme with migrant audiences can thus prove difficult to some practitioners who feel they lack proper training.

"Support Me" will focus on fundamental issues as, for instance, the notions of cultures, “cultural conflict” and psychosocial risks, legal status, thus enabling the participants to identify and understand more thoroughly the diversity of migrant audiences, the precarious situations facing them and their specific needs. It should also question receiving and supporting practices so as to contribute to their evolution.

The trainers also ask for supporting them to implement the DIME participative methods and active technics “learning by doing”.

Main objectives

• To guide and train to the migrant public’s specificity thanks to an interdisciplinary approach
• To upgrade the competences of practitioners in order to meet with the specific training needs of migrant audiences and implement DIME optimally.
• To meet with the expectations of a significant number of volunteers who demand to upgrade their skills
• To train the practitioners to assess, develop and highlight the migrants’ skills, focusing on key competences and soft skills, so as to improve the social and professional inclusion of migrants.

The partnership consists of training organisations, research facilities or universities, and volunteers, all committed in trainers’ training and support of migrants. Specifically:

• France
  • INSUP – Project coordinator
  • AIFRISSS

• Italy
  • Programma integra

• Germany
  • BUPNET

• Spain
  • Huelva university and Andalucia Acoge

• Greece
  • Edra and IASIS

The project is funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and has a duration of 36 months (1/9/2019 – 31/8/2022).

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The two-year project titled “Stay Safe: preventing and responding to sexual violence against women with disabilities”, is funded by the EU Rights, Equality and Citizenship (REC) programme 2014-2020 and will last from April 1^st, 2020 until March 31^st, 2022. The project revolves around two main pillars:

1. develop and test a training model based on creative drama technique, targeting women with mental disabilities (110), as well as professionals (220), enabling them to recognize, react and report any sexual harassment incidents (both online and offline)

2. raise awareness among professionals (psychologists, social workers, medical staff, carers, etc.), in order to provide mentally disabled women who are exposed to the risk of sexual harassment, with proper tools to replicate the training programme

The project is coordinated by Anziani e Non Solo Societa Cooperativa Sociale (ANS) from Italy, in collaboration with K.S.D.E.O. EDRA (Greece), Fundación INTRAS (Spain), Safe Space Associação Saúde Mental Portugal (Portugal), Network of European Art Festivals for Mental Health Enhancement (NEFELE) in Belgium, Socialiniu Inovaciju Fondas (Lithuania) and Universidade do Porto (UP) in Portugal.

Website: https://staysafeproject.eu/

The content of this publication represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.

Restoring Respect Project (RRP)

The “Restoring Respect Project” (RRP) European project is implemented with the support Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and aims at bringing together a cross-sector, strategic partnership of 5 organisations to support innovation in the VET field by creating, piloting and disseminating an interactive platform and a mobile phone application tailored to the needs and realities of migrant and refugee communities in the participating project countries and across Europe. RRP will also design and accredit an e-course that will enhance the skills and knowledge of migrants and refugees boosting their employability and integration in our European societies.

The ultimate objective of RRP is to address the employment gap between established and migrant communities, while restoring the respect in migrant populations who are often viewed and treated as unqualified and unable to contribute to their host country.

The partnership consists of organizations from the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Italy and Cyprus. Specifically:

1. Restorative Justice for All cic - United Kingdom (coordinator)
2. FUNDACION ALTIUS FRANCISCO DE VITORIA - Spain
3. KSDEO EDRA - Greece
4. ICSE & CO - Italy
5. CSI CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION LTD – Cyprus

The project has a duration of 24 months and last from the 1^st of October 2019 to the 30^th of September 2021.

Website: https://restoringrespect.info/

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

People with mental illness and especially those living in mental health facilities, experience stigma and social marginalization. The need to find alternative treatment methods beyond pharmaceuticals is of paramount importance. For this reason, the European project "Mental Health Matters through Restorative Art" (MHM) aims to pilot the implementation and dissemination of educational material and tools tailored to the needs of mental health professionals.

The partnership includes 6 organizations from the United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Hungary. Specifically:

1. Restorative Justice for All cic (coordinator - UK)
2. KSDEO EDRA (GR)
3. CSI CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION LTD (CY)
4. Lélekben Otthon Közhasznú Alapítvány (HU)
5. INTRAS FOUNDATION (SP)
6. ANOTATI SCHOLI KALON TECHNON (GR)

The project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and has a duration of 24 months (1/11/2019 – 31/10/2021).

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The organization Hallgarten-Franchetti Centro Studi Villa Montesca” Foundation (FCSVM) in Italy, in cooperation with Institute for Educational and Youth Studies (EGECED) in Turkey, San Jorge University Foundation (FUSJ) in Spain, Center for Educational Initiatives (CEI) in Bulgaria, K.S.D.E.O. EDRA in Greece, National University of Ireland Galway (NUI), University of Nicosia (UNIC) - Education Excellence Corporation Limited (EDEX) in Cyprus and Stichting Reflexion in the Netherlands are implementing the project titled “LIFE TWO: Learning Interculturality from Religions towards Outreach Activities” – funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union, Key Action 3: Support for policy reform – Sub-action: Social Inclusion and Common Values: The Contribution in the Field of Education and Training. LIFE-TWO has a duration of 24 months and lasts from the 1^st of December 2019 to the 30^th of November 2021.

The purpose of the project is to foster a participatory pedagogical methodology based on the Inquiry Educative Strategy designed to develop transversal skills, related to multiculturalism, interfaith and integration (LIFE Model). The Model, addressed to primary education during LIFE project, has already proved to be successfully when tested in 5 European countries (Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Spain), as part of the religious education courses. The main challenge of LIFE TWO is to create a new framework with a new and specific aim of combating misinformation and false news spreading and developing new tools for an efficient application of the Pedagogical Didactic and Participatory Model (PD&P).

LIFE TWO intends to test the method in secondary schools and propose a strategy for a counter-narration, putting in action educative measures addressed to launch a critical thinking process for leading the students to see the interfaith societal context as a profound resource for their personal growth.

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Introspection Music Experience (IME) is a European project, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme (Sub-programme: Culture) of the European Commission. It is implemented by Fundacion Intras (Spain), Kunstatelier Opperstraat - KAOS (BE) and Kinonikes Sineteristikes Drastiriotites Efpathon Omadon – EDRA (GR).

IME brings together artists with and without psychiatric vulnerabilities from Greece, Belgium and Spain. It seeks to support the music sector by promoting emerging artists, capture grassroots stories, develop new audiences and keep music diversity alive. We will do this by:

• promoting co-production between musicians with and without mental health issues, bringing richer and more significant life experiences for all;
• redefining music by incorporating grassroots non-mainstream experiences;
• attracting new audiences among those groups of people who are underrepresented. IME will promote identification, bringing music closer to mental illness and mental illness closer to music;
• promoting the mobility of emerging artists and supporting them to make their living out of the music, through training and the redesign of their traditional creative approaches

Website: https://www.ime-project.com/                                                                             

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

DESEM

The Εuropean project titled, “Developing Sexual Education Model for Mentally Disabled People” (DESEM), was launched in September 2018 and completed in November 2020. DESEM was implemented with the support of the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union; the project’s aim was to develop a sexuality education model/methodology for intellectually disabled individuals.

Each activity that constitutes the project’s content was provided by coordinated work of educators, guidance specialists and families, as they are the main actors in sexuality education. The partnership consisted of six organizations from different countries, carrying out innovative studies for intellectually disabled individuals and other disadvantaged groups, under the coordination of the General Directorate of Special Education and Guidance Services of Turkey.

The following organisations participate in the project:

• Ministry of Education - General Directorate of Special Education and Guidance Services (coordinator - Turkey)
• Fundación Intras (Spain)
• S.D.E.O. “EDRA” (Greece)
• Lélekben Otthon Közhasznú Alapítvány – LOKA (Hungary)
• Šiaulių Miesto Savivaldybės Globos Namai (Lithuania)
• Archivio della Memoria (Italy)

Website: https://www.desemproject.eu/

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

ASAL

The European project titled, “Advanced Skills for Active Living” (ASAL) was launched in November 2019 and completed in December 2020. ASAL was implemented with the support of the Erasmus+ Sport Programme of the European Union.

The project was part of an overall strategy which utilizes physical exercise and sport activities in the field of Mental Health. Based on the results of two very relevant initiatives, i.e. “MENS” (Mental European Network of Sport Events) and “EVENTS” (European Voluntary Events for Therapy through Sports), ASAL added the training/educational component to this strategy. Its aim was to train professionals from the field of Sports Science and Physical Activity to develop certain skills required, in order to be able to work in residencies that house population living with Mental Health challenges, provide high quality services and thus assist in the therapeutic process.

The project was coordinated by K.S.D.EO. “EDRA” (Greece); the following organisations also participated in the project: COOSS Marche (Italy), Fundación Intras (Spain), Fokus Praha (Czech Republic), School of Physical Education and Sport Science - National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece), Panellinios Athletic Club (Greece) and Coordan (The Netherlands).

Website: https://www.desemproject.eu/

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects only the author’s view and the Agency and the Commission are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.