Project title: Improving Adolescent Mental Health through Strengthening Partnerships with the Public Sector and Implementing Adolescent-Led Advocacy Initiatives
Donor: Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia through the Civil Society Facility (CSF)
Implementation period: 2 January 2025 – 31 December 2027
Through the joint efforts of civil society organizations and public institutions at the national and local levels, this project aims to develop sustainable mechanisms for supporting adolescents’ mental health, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups of children, by strengthening cooperation between the civil society and public sectors.
Improving the mental health of children and adolescents remains a key challenge in Serbia, particularly for children in alternative care. Research shows that children in foster care and residential institutions face significant psychological challenges, while existing support systems are not sufficiently developed to adequately address their needs. The lack of specialized training for foster carers and residential care staff further limits their ability to recognize mental health concerns and provide appropriate support, which may have long-term consequences for children’s mental health and overall development.
Similarly, the education system faces challenges in providing effective mental health support for children. Although all primary schools in Serbia employ psychologists and pedagogues, their roles are largely administrative and do not include the provision of direct support to students. Teachers, who interact with children on a daily basis and are often the first to recognize emerging mental health issues, are not sufficiently equipped to take on a structured preventive role.
In addition, children and adolescents in Serbia are not sufficiently involved in decision-making processes concerning their rights and needs, including the improvement of mental health services. The lack of institutionalized mechanisms for youth participation limits their ability to advocate for changes that are essential to their health and well-being. For this reason, the project places a strong emphasis on adolescent-led advocacy initiatives. Through these initiatives, young people are given the opportunity to actively engage in dialogue with decision-makers, highlight key challenges, and propose solutions that will contribute to a stronger and more accessible mental health support system for all young people in Serbia.
Recognizing the key challenges faced by children and adolescents, the project “Improving Adolescent Mental Health through Strengthening Partnerships with the Public Sector and Implementing Adolescent-Led Advocacy Initiatives” is built around three key components:
The first pillar focuses on integrating mental health support into the alternative care system, with particular emphasis on improving the mental health of children placed in foster families and residential care institutions.
The second pillar focuses on integrating mental health knowledge and raising awareness in primary schools, with the aim of informing and empowering children to recognize and prevent mental health problems.
The third pillar is dedicated to strengthening adolescents’ capacities to actively advocate for access to mental health services within their communities.
The project “Improving Adolescent Mental Health through Strengthening Partnerships with the Public Sector and Implementing Adolescent-Led Advocacy Initiatives” is implemented by the Child Rights Centre and funded by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia through the Civil Society Facility (CSF) Programme. The project is being implemented from 2 January 2025 to 31 December 2027.
