GPS 1.1. Generation of Support and deStigmatization

• Coordinator: DrONe – Association for Social Development and Non-formal Education
• Financed by: Active Citizens Fund – Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway
• Duration: 1 November 2022 – 31 October 2023
• Budget: 14.989,16 €
• Contact person: Branimira Penić, info@udruga-drone.hr
• Web-site / FB page of the organization or project: https://www.facebook.com/udrugadrone

After examining the needs of youth, the need for establishing a non-formal Youth Counselling Centre was recognized and incorporated in the City of Karlovac Youth Programme 2020-2023 (Measure 1.1.). Despite the detected need, the Counselling Centre is still not established. Along with the main problem of a lack of associations’ capacities for advocacy, adequate care for the mental health of youth at risk, inadequate services and a lack of professionals, the space intended for improving the mental health of youth – does not exist.

The project envisions the following activities: mapping of needs based on the implementation of research; forming of a work group; educations for the civil sector with the aim of strengthening youth mental health, promotion, creation of video contents and advocacy; online campaigns with the aim of destigmatizing youth mental health; creation of an advocacy document and its presentation to decision makers.

The local community will, through channels of online and offline promotion, benefit in the sense of being better informed, while raising the local community’s awareness on the challenges related to youth mental health. The partner organizations will benefit from networking, collaboration and educations, and decision makers will have a better insight into the needs of youth, with concrete recommendations regarding the mental health. In addition, the project will bring benefit to youth, for whom services will be created in accordance with their needs.

Association Carpe Diem will contribute by conducting an education on the topic of online promotion and participating in the work group for the promotion of mental health.

Integrative Centre of Mental Health - “Stronger Together” will contribute by implementing an education on the topic of youth mental health and participating in the work group for the promotion of mental health.

Kinoklub Karlovac will contribute by the implementing an education on the topic of creating video clips and participating in the work group for the promotion of mental health, and will include young volunteers in the creation of promo-educational materials.

Croatian Youth Network will contribute by implementing an education on the topic of advocacy.

Institute for Social Research in Zagreb will provide professional support in the preparation, implementation and analysis of the research and the recommendations arising from the analysis of the needs in the local community.