Mental health and psychosocial support services for refugee and migrant children and their families and support to professionals working with migrant and refugee children and families

Implementation period:

The initial duration of the project was one year starting in August 2016, after that the program was extended three months to November 2017 and a continuation of the project was signed until December 2018.

The project …

Project’s main goal is the provision of culturally appropriate mental health and psychosocial support services for refugee and migrant children and their families in Attica region.

The services are being provided in Babel Day Centre and other open hosting sites for refugees in Attica region by the interdisciplinary team that is consisted of child psychiatrists, psychologists – psychotherapists, special therapists (speech therapists, occupational therapists), social worker and interpreters.

Main services provided by project’s professionals:

1. Child-focused primary Psychosocial and Mental Health services for refugee and migrant children and their families inside sites and shelters for minors including:

· general psycho-social support

· psycho-social first aid

· group counseling

· trauma counseling support

· screening services and primary care mental health services inside sites

2. Child-focused secondary and tertiary Mental Health services for refugee and migrant children and their families through referral to the Babel Center including:

· child psychiatric assessment and follow up

· counselling at individual, family and group level

· psychotherapeutic intervention

· secondary and tertiary mental healthcare services at the primary care level or specialist care level

· special therapies including speech therapy and occupational therapy

3. Support and capacity building for front line workers and staff including:

· training on rapid assessment and psychological first aid

· training on how to facilitate group and peer counselling

· supervision of mental health professionals

Project’s outcomes…

Indicatively, a total of 228 visits have taken place in the open hosting sites of Attica (Elefsina, Skaramangas, Rafina, Elliniko and Eleonas) from the start of the project to 30/09/2017.

Altogether, 330 individuals, including 204 children (103 boys, 101 girls), 23 men and 103 women, have received services either through individual or group sessions. Until the end of September 2017, 580 individual, 72 group and 15 family sessions have been implemented in five (5) open hosting sites for refugees in Attica region.