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Kids in the context of mental Disorders: Skill training to empower Teachers, Health Professionals and Social Workers

Background: The prevalence of mental illness is constantly increasing, depression will become the 2nd largest cause of the global health burden by 2020 (WHO) with major impacts on children and families (3-11% “forgotten” children). Improving the mental health and well-being of children and young people is one of the 5 priorities set out in the EU Pact for Mental Health at the EU high level in 6/2008. “EU project CAMHEE “Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Enlarged EU” and EU Green Paper on Mental Health 2005 describes the lack and subsequent need of specific training of professionals in diverse bio-psycho-social fields, especially towards prevention of mental disorders in young people faced with established risks. Currently, systemized training is not available and professionals underestimate the impact of parental mental illness on children. However it is a source of chronic distress and increased own vulnerability with subsequent economic and social impact.Previous Products and Needs: CAMHEE identified training programs, however the usage is limited: lack of specificity towards the methodological needs of the different professional groups, of language variants and of main stream. In almost no EU country “forgotten children” are included in training programs. KIDS`STRENGTHS transfers available EU training knowledge (www.camhee.eu) and tools (www.ebiff.org, www.precious.at) on Information, Assessment, Communication, Resilience into different sectors and countries and offers peer-oriented online-skill training (methodically adjusted)Consortium:Diversity in sectors, geography and culture: 17 partners form 9 countries, training institutions (VET) professional association, strategic partners in terms of sustainability.Outcomes 1) tailor made adaptations towards methodological needs of diverse professional sectors (social work, child minding, Early Childhood Intervention, pre-school, school, health)2) by 4 core modules into language variants (DE; FI, PT, ES, TR, SK, EN, HU)3) making available training materials – regarding online-learning in a PORTAL4) pilot tests in diverse professional groups (AT: social worker, PT Early Childhood, ES: psychologists, SK: Pedagogues, HU: preschool teacher, TR: teachers, FI medical staff)6) starting processes to integrate the modules into mainstream training of the professionalsProducts: tangible: - Core Modular program– methodically differentiated for 7 sectorial groups- 8 Language variants of the core modules and methodological specifications - Online Portal guaranteeing easy accessibility and availability of concrete working tools - Strategy of mainstream transfer into curricula for social workers, kindergarten teachersintangible: fostering mental health Impact: a) Availability of ICT based sector specific training material and toolsb) increase of quality (training and service provision) for new emerging vulnerable groupsc) Increased awareness towards mental health due to specific training
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