MINDSPACE: MENTAL HEALTH IN YOUTHWORK focuses on addressing the mental health needs of young people, especially those at risk. Recognizing the increasing public and professional attention to youth mental health, the project aims to bridge the gap between the needs of young people and the limited resources available within youth organizations and institutions. Young people often face numerous barriers when accessing professional mental health services, and organizations working with them frequently lack the necessary conditions and expertise to provide continuous psychological support.

Since its inception, the project has been committed to supporting youth mental health through various community-based activities. This includes raising awareness about the importance of mental health, fostering connections between young people and support providers, and continuously developing programs tailored to address the unique challenges faced by at-risk youth. By equipping youth workers, mentors, and leaders with the right tools, methodologies, and knowledge, Mindspace aims to create sustainable and evidence-based programs that can be implemented effectively even by non-professionals.

Project goals

The primary goals of the Mindspace project are to:

• Develop a sustainable, evidence-based youth work program focusing on mental health, designed for easy implementation by youth workers, mentors, and staff in youth organizations.
• Enhance the capacity of youth workers to provide effective mental health support through training and skill development.
• Identify the specific needs, challenges, and barriers faced by at-risk youth concerning mental health.
• Bridge the gap between non-professional youth workers and mental health professionals, fostering synergy between different fields to better support young people.
• Raise awareness about the importance of mental health in youth work and promote community-based mental health support models.

Partners

The project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union through the Erasmus+ program, in collaboration with the following partner organizations:

• Roter Baum (Berlin, Germany)
• Ekvalis (Skopje, North Macedonia)
• Moj Krug (Belgrade, Serbia)
• Centar Zvezda (Belgrade, Serbia)
• Inprocess (Project coordination and training leadership)

These partners bring together expertise from various fields, including psychology, social work, pedagogy, and youth work, as well as direct involvement from young people at risk.

The project includes several key activities aimed at achieving its objectives:

Community-Based Research

• Conducted six focus groups (three with young people, three with youth workers) in Germany, North Macedonia, and Serbia to identify needs and challenges related to youth mental health.
• Developed two comprehensive questionnaires (one for young people, one for youth workers) in German, Serbian, and Macedonian, reaching 167 respondents (88 youth workers/mentors/leaders and 79 young people aged 18–26).

Youth Worker Training

• Held a training session in Sremski Karlovci for youth workers, mentors, and peer leaders from Serbia, North Macedonia, Germany, Spain, and Italy.
• The training introduced the Mindspace methodology, which includes 10 workshops covering 5 key mental health topics relevant to youth.
• Focus areas included mental health concepts, common youth mental health challenges, practical tools, and building participants’ knowledge, skills, and communication strategies.

Program develompment

• Participants were treated as co-creators of the Mindspace program, providing feedback to refine the methodology.
• The training outcomes and participant evaluations informed the finalization of the Mindspace handbook, ensuring that the program is practical, adaptable, and evidence-based.

Pilot Implementation

• The next project phase involves implementing workshops with young people within participants’ organizations to gather additional insights before the official program release.

The Mindspace Handbook

A comprehensive guide for youth workers to support mental health in youth work settings, based on both theoretical foundations and practical experiences from the project.

Enhanced Capacity of Youth Workers:

• 17 participants improved their training skills, mental health knowledge, and ability to communicate effectively with young people.
• Youth workers gained new tools to implement mental health programs within their organizations and train others in their networks.