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Description
The aim of this project is to strengthen abilities of municipalities’ specialists implementing Youth-Friendly Health Care Services model.
With this project we seek to increase the competencies of Youth Coordinators and municipal specialists working with youth, so they can provide more complex and extended services to young people and better meet their needs.
YFHCS will be provided in 22 municipalities and will be coordinated at the National level by The Health Education and Disease Prevention Centre (hereinafter HEDPC). National coordinator will organize trainings and meetings for specialists, prepare practice guidelines for youth coordinators, provide permanent consultations for municipalities specialists and coordinate their practice. Effectiveness assessment will be conducted at the end of the project by partner – Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (hereinafter LUHS).
Main planned activities are:
1) to develop two new and adjust six algorithms developed in previous project;
2) to prepare recommendations for young people facing mental health or behavioural problems and/or their families on where to look for professional services and how to adapt their lifestyles to facilitate self-care and support;
3) to organize trainings for YFHCS specialists in municipalities;
4) to prepare practice guidelines for youth coordinators;
5) permanently coordinate model implementation, provide consultations for youth coordinators and improve their competences in meetings and seminars;
6) maintain YFHCS website;
7) conduct effectiveness assessment and prepare report.
Main targeted groups of the Project are: primary target group includes people working with young people and providing YFHCS: Youth Coordinators, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, public health specialists. The extended target group includes 14-29-year-olds who will be provided with YFHCS by the specialists trained during the project.
Summary of project results
To address health issues among youth, the Youth-Friendly Health Care Services Project (hereinafter referred to as JPSPP) was initiated. The project aligns with the goals of the ''Health'' Program – improving prevention and reducing health inequalities, strengthening community mental health, and focusing on one of the most vulnerable risk groups, namely, the mental health and well-being of individuals aged 14-29. During the project implementation, the JPSPP model was introduced in 24 municipalities, with the aim of consolidating existing healthcare service providers into a unified network. The goal was to enhance their collaboration and provide more effective healthcare services tailored to the needs of the youth, thereby ensuring a reduction in health disparities.
In implementing the model, tools and measures were developed to improve collaboration and assistance for young people in various sectors, such as health, education, social services, and child rights. Throughout the project, active, motivated, and youth-trained coordinators – case managers, were employed in municipalities. Their activities contribute to improving youth health and quality of life, reducing mortality, minimizing health disparities, and enhancing social and economic well-being in Lithuania.
The goal of the project is to strengthen and motivate trained municipality coordinators – case managers working with youth and implement a model for youth-friendly healthcare services. The model is unique because it includes coordination measures for collaboration across various sectors and establishes a network aimed at helping youth choose a healthy lifestyle. In cases of health issues, often related to mental or emotional disorders, the model aims to provide coordinated and continuous assistance. The main beneficiary is individuals working with youth and providing JPSPP services. Consultations, training sessions, meetings, conferences, and activity guidelines were the main tools used to enhance the qualifications of coordinators.
During the project, 2 new algorithms and updates to 6 existing algorithms were developed, guiding youth health coordinators on how to act in specific situations, which institutions to contact, how to approach clients, etc. These algorithms are among the main tools for JPSPP coordinators, which they can continue to use even after the project concludes. Twenty-eight JPSPP coordinators have completed 80% of all training sessions organized during the project.
Additionally, guidelines for the activities of JPSPP coordinators were prepared, and a measure promotion strategy was developed to describe the best ways to promote JPSPP services in their municipalities. Publicity videos were created to help coordinators spread information about the services provided in their municipalities.
The project also involved the maintenance and administration of the website www.sveikatostinklas.lt. Throughout the project, 364 articles were posted on this website, and 209 questions related to youth health were answered on the site.
In implementation of the project the network of JPSPP coordinators was expanded to 24 municipalities and strengthened.
The main beneficiaries of the project are:
-JPSPP coordinators, whose capacities and motivation were strengthened to work with youth and implement a model for youth-friendly healthcare services by developed guidelines on how to act in specific situations with clients and related institutions, by providing intensive trainings, assistance in increasing visibility of their services, encouraged and coordinated networking and also experience sharing within a network.
-Youth (14-29 years) in 24 municipalities, who were better informed about available health services and various health issues related matters relevant for youth and in particular those who took advantage to use more convenient, accessible youth health services.
- other specialists working with youth - youth workers, social workers, psychologists, public health care professionals who were involved in JPSPP coordinators work related cases and were provided with great amount of youth health related materials, which were developed in implementation of the Project.