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Description
The target group of the project (children and young people with delinquent behavior and behavioral and emotional disorders aged 12-18, as well as young people who have committed any kind of violation of the law) is severely short of competent staff capable to build sustainable relationship. There is no common approach to working with delinquent young people between different institutions. There is no complex work. The help measures don''t work because of poor or superficial interinstitutional cooperation. Staff working with children and adolescents in the target group lack knowledge about the causes of such behavior and possible ways to help. For these reasons, young people in the target group face many difficulties, often alone with their pain, fears and despair. The project aims to exploit the potential of open youth work as the center is already attracting the target group to its activities, able to build a relationship with young people based on trust.
The aim of the project is to implement a unique support mechanism based on non-standard operating principles and innovative working methods for children and teenagers of the target group, mobilizing resources in the municipality, qualitatively and substantially strengthening specialist competencies to help young people easily and creatively make positive changes in their lives and fill lack of innovative services for this target group.
After the implementation of the project, the young people of the target group will feel safier, will be able to reflect on their experiences, identify problematic topics and will be able to feel their personal strategies for making positive changes in their lives.
Summary of project results
1. Lack of organizational capacity, as many different activities were planned.
2. The interior repair of the building, which we carried out on our own, was a huge challenge that required a lot of resources.
3. Delays in activities due to prolonged public procurement.
4. Crisis situations of teenagers. Of the 42 young people we served, at least 7 were in very severe, delayed crisis situations that our support system is underserved and unprepared to deal with. Our resources, capacities and power (legislative) to manage them are too small. These situations took a lot of time and resources. It also revealed many systemic loopholes.
5. Chaos of communication, distribution of responsibilities and assumption of support systems. Institutions providing support for delinquent adolescents have very different attitudes and cultures. When multiple systems operate, it is not clear who bears the ultimate responsibility, who coordinates. The teenager''s situation, the deep causes of bad behavior are not explored, there is a lack of competence. This has made quality service delivery very difficult and adds a lot of chaos to the already chaotic life of a delinquent teenager.
The target group of the "Light Shoes" project (children and young people with delinquent behavior and behavioral and emotional disorders aged 12-18, as well as young people who have committed any kind of violation of the law) is severely short of competent staff capable to build sustainable relationship. There is no common approach to working with delinquent young people between different institutions. There is no complex work. The help measures don’t work because of poor or superficial interinstitutional cooperation. Staff working with children and adolescents in the target group lack knowledge about the causes of such behavior and possible ways to help. For these reasons, young people in the target group face many difficulties, often alone with their pain, fears, and despair. The project aims to exploit the potential of open youth work as the center is already attracting the target group to its activities, able to build a relationship with young people based on trust.
The aim of the project is to implement a unique support mechanism based on non-standard operating principles and innovative working methods for children and teenagers of the target group, mobilizing resources in the municipality, qualitatively and substantially strengthening specialist competencies to help young people easily and creatively make positive changes in their lives and fill lack of innovative services for this target group.
TASKS:
- To create a safe, innovative learning space (experiential training base) for the adolescents of the target group, where new services will be provided.
- To strengthen the competencies of youth workers and specialists working qualitatively and substantially with adolescents in the target group to provide innovative services to the target group and to mobilize the available municipal resources for teamwork.
- Providing new, innovative services to young people to help them make a positive difference in their lives.
The project is implemented with partners - two open youth centers that operate in the same field, see the same solutions. The partners will create the results of the project together.
After the implementation of the project the young people of the target group will feel safer, will be understood, accepted, be able to reflect on their experiences, identify problematic topics discover and be able to feel their personal strategies for making positive changes in their lives.
The young people of the target group who participated in the project had a safe relationship based on mutual trust with a competent youth worker and were motivated to make positive changes in their lives. For most of the participants, the youth worker was the only person who believed in them. Young people have tried various change strategies in their lives:
- Improved learning outcomes and increased chances of staying in the education system
- Restored relations with the environment (family, friends, specialists, etc.)
- You learned to recognize your feelings and manage your emotions
- Significantly improved reflection skills
- Tried to deal with addictions by admitting that they have them
- Searched for ways to spend safe leisure time
- Tried new activities
- Dealt with suicidal ideation, accepting the help of psychologists-psychotherapists
- Made future plans
- Acquired practical skills (base repair, volunteering, etc.)