Description
From September to November 2023, PIN is carrying out a project that focuses on providing psychological support to employees in educational institutions via the Psychological support program for individuals facing crises. This program includes psychoeducational sessions, support groups, and individual consultations with a psychologist. The global goal of this project is to restore a sense of security through the provision of psychological support to employees in educational institutions, including teachers, professors, school psychologists, and many more, with special reference to the current crisis and unpredictable situations.
The specific goals of this project are:
- Creation of a safe space for employees and education on ways to create a safe space for themselves and their students in the future;
- Education of employees in educational institutions about the phenomenon of psychological crisis, better understanding of personal experiences, and providing support to oneself and others;
- Raising awareness of the importance of mental health care;
- Empowering employees and improving their internal resources to deal with the current crisis;
- Development of new skills that additionally help employees in dealing with stress as a frequent companion of crisis;
- Development of new skills that additionally help employees in dealing with various symptoms that are a consequence of exposure to stress during the current crisis (such as depressive and anxiety reactions)
Target group and main beneficiaries
In addition to children, young people, and parents, employees in educational institutions stand out as one of the groups that are directly threatened by the crisis event that happened in May, but also by sudden changes in the organization of work, which bring with them a significant set of stressors, as evidenced by numerous data related to with situations of mass shootings in schools abroad. Therefore, employees in educational institutions will benefit most from the project activities.
Main activities
- A psycho-educational session that includes one meeting where employees would learn about the phenomenon of psychological crisis, types of different crises, stages in crisis situations, as well as the consequences of exposure to a certain crisis, as well as the ways in which they can support themselves and others in a crisis.
- Support groups for employees in educational institutions, which would involve continuous meetings. The support groups would include a combination of psychoeducational and experiential work according to a previously developed and empirically tested program. Employees would develop a social network in a safe environment, which together with a professional psychologist, who would lead the groups, would be an additional source of support in a crisis.
- A 1-on-1 psychological consultation with a professional psychologist would imply the possibility of organizing meetings with employees who express the need to consult with a professional psychologist outside the context of support groups.
