Psycho-social needs of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe

EPN is looking for sending organisations (working with young refugees) for the recruitment of the participants (youth workers) to the study-visit.

The increasing number of refugees in Europe challenges the international community, professionals, governments and voluntary agencies.
Current refugee crisis is of everyone concern. Not only the national and European authorities, but also civil society organizations have a significant role to play in the mobilization of competent professionals who feel concerned about refugees hosting.

Experience of displacement due to armed conflict, persecution, or disasters put significant psychological and social stress on individuals, families and communities, which may affect their psycho-social well-being and possibly increase their vulnerability.

As a number of psycho-social and youth workers in European countries of resettlement will be required to address young refugees in their practice, the need for trained European professionals providing efficient support to young refugees has to be addressed.

The objectives of the project is to strengthen the quality of mental health care for refugees by providing training and job observation in Belgium to 3 groups of 16 European youth workers, workers working with young refugees, psychologists for young people, social workers involved in psycho-social support for young refugee. The study-visit in Belgium is divided in several activities: workshops/seminars, presentations and peer discussions about the psycho-social needs of the refugees and the ways to address these needs, visit to a refugee shelter.

The project is focused on acquisition of skills and abilities such as:

• Ability to identify their psycho-social needs and appropriateness of interventions (extend, purpose);

• Understand the specific needs of young forced migrants compared to other vulnerable groups

• Take into account cultural differences and potential biases.

Contact: helene.gire@epnetwork.eu

Interested? Please fill this form: https://docs.google.com/a/epnetwork.eu/forms/d/1EEbtmCkirF6G0n8o8asK-jrgHF6E8txgpHLyj1AOCRY/viewform?c=0&w=1