The researcher of the University of Jaén (UJA) Manuel Vivas met with the director of ERYICA, Eva Reina, to deepen the contributions of the agency as a member of the External Advisory Board of these two initiatives to promote the health and emotional well-being of young people.
24/01/2024.- The European Agency for Youth Information and Counselling (ERYICA) and the Network for the PROmotion of Adolescent EMOtional Health and Well-being (PROEMO) addressed the second phase of the development of the ‘PROmotion of Adolescent EMOtional Health and Well-being in Education, Health and Society’ (PROADEMO) project materials and the PROEMO road map.
The researcher of the University of Jaén (UJA), Manuel Vivas, and the director of ERYICA, Eva Reina, met telematically to deepen the contributions of the European agency as a member of the External Advisory Board of these two projects, headed by UJA.
Regarding the design and development of the digital training package and the set of practical tools, aimed at school personnel, healthcare personnel and youth workers, as well as for the preparation of the emotional support kit for adolescents, Eva Reina proposed working together and gave as an example the Yiminds project as a formula for inclusion of youth personnel at the same level as healthcare and educational personnel. In this sense, she valued the use of community services for integration and pointed out the need to teach protocols for action, the procedure to follow after referring an adolescent to mental health services and tips on how to act in times of crisis. As for the format to be used for the creation of these materials, he opted for an interactive website accessible from cell phones.
PROADEMO (PDC2022-133401-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) is funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the State Research Agency and the European Union, through the “Next Generation EU” funds within the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. Its objective is to improve the skills of professionals and young people themselves to contribute to providing quality mental health services to adolescents at risk of developing emotional problems.
As for the shortcomings detected by ERYICA, Eva Reina emphasized “the lack of time available to youth professionals and adolescents themselves, as well as the need to break the taboo of mental health from the perspective of the problem, but to approach it from the point of view of well-being”. Finally, regarding the priorities to be taken into account in the roadmap of the PROEMO Network, she pointed out that the contents should be inclusive, that they should reach the people in the tutoring environment and that they should help to train in emotional literacy, betting on the joint work of ERYICA and the PROEMO Network.
PROEMO is a research network (RED2022-134247-T) funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the State Research Agency, through the State Program to promote scientific-technical research and its transfer, within the framework of the State Plan for Scientific, Technical and Innovation Research 2021-2023.
ERYICA is integrated in the External Advisory Council of PROADEMO and the PROEMO Network, together with entities such as the Spanish Youth Institute (INJUVE), attached to the Ministry of Children and Youth, the Spanish Youth Council, the Princess of Girona Foundation (FPdGi), the FELGTBI+ Integral Health Group, the Confederation of Organizations of Psychiatrists and Psychologists of Spain (FELGTBI+), the Confederation of Organizations of Psychiatrists and Psychologists of Spain (FELGTBI+) and the Spanish Youth Council (FELGTBI+), the Confederación de Organizaciones de Psicopedagogía y Orientación de España (COPOE), the Asociación Española de Ayuda Mutua contra Fobia Social y Trastornos de Ansiedad (AMTAES) and the Asociación Andaluza de Técnicos de Juventud (AATJ) and the Asociación Asturiana para la atención y el cuidado de la infancia (Asaci).