ERASMUS+ Safe Youth Workers
Are you involved with troubled/traumatized youth (10-24 years old) either through your full-time, part-time or voluntary work?
You might be a youth-worker, child protector, social worker or social pedagogue, school psychologist, psychotherapist, supervisor, a police officer, lawyer, judge, teacher, volunteer, a doctor, guard in the prison, etc.
As you might have noticed, your work affects you. You may be more tired than usual, or you may spend your free time reflecting on young people you desperately want to help. You may have headaches, muscle aches, feel easily upset, have trouble sleeping, etc.
This project has been initiated just for you, to provide personal support and self-care to make sure you stay energized and healthy while helping others.
250 people will be trained in 3 different countries
Our professional training is holistic and will include:
- Professional knowledge of working with traumatized young people and their possible effects on helpers: compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and vicarious trauma.
- Self-awareness training. Self-awareness is an important first step to understanding how you are doing, where your strengths and weaknesses are and what you would like to change.
- The next step is to reflect on your own strategies to strengthen yourself in acquiring new skills and competences. This involves developing an individual self-care practice that is focused on your circumstances.
The training thus combines knowledge, skills, and feelings, which is the necessary prerequisite for learning well. You will get to know many different creative methods and the group will be a stable anchor for your personal development.
Our project is co-financed by ERASMUS+ and it`s official name is: PROJECT 2023-1-EE01-KA220-YOU-000159097
Youth workers and the threat of vicarious trauma in the professional field
An integrative self-care practice training as an approach for supporting resilience.
Project partners
Estonia
Estonian Gestalt & Training Center was established to provide professional support, education and training to professionals working with people, in the field of mental health or education. Our aim is to deepen professional knowledge, promote mental health, psychological and emotional
well-being.
Spain
YOMN provides training for youth workers and educators on youth mental health, trauma, suicide prevention, socio-emotional learning and other topics.
Czech Republic
Masaryk University is the second largest and second best university in the Czech Republic. It has over 6500 employees, 10 faculties and over
40 000 students signed in its programs.
The department taking part from this project is part of the Faculty of Education, which is specialized to professional preparation of the youth-workers and social educators.
About the Project
Professionals working with troubled and traumatized young people may be at risk of burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and secondary traumatization.
We are developing an early intervention and personal support program to strengthen the personality, knowledge and skills of youth workers to promote resilience.
Project activities include:
- a study to understand the needs of professionals
- training of 250 youth workers
- a workbook on new knowledge as a result
Meet Our Team Members
Oliver Baiocco
Social Scientist (MSc)
Gestalt Therapist
General management / research / trainer
OLIVER BAIOCCO | Gestalt Psychotherapist Founder, leader and trainer of the EGTC |
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Education 1 - Disciplines - University degrees | Social Scientist (MSc) |
Education 2 -Trainings esp. in "Therapy, counselling, coaching, etc |
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Fields of works Where are you working now: organisation, sectors, target groups, tasks, etc. |
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Special experiences in work? |
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Special interest in work? |
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What is your personal stance/ attitude in work? |
“Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any injustice committed against anyone, anywhere in the world.” Che Guevara |
What do you want to share about your private life? | In my next life I am becoming a musician |
Your task in the project | General management; Research, Trainer |
Contact email | info@baiocco.de |
Kaire Talviste-Baiocco
MA in Social Sciences
Clinical Gestalt Psychotherapist
Communication / trainer / dissemination
KAIRE TALVISTE-BAIOCCO | Gestalt Psychotherapist Founder, leader and trainer of the EGTC |
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Education 1 - Disciplines - University degrees | Social Science (MA) |
Education 2 -Trainings esp. in "Therapy, counselling, coaching, etc |
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Fields of works Where are you working now: organisation, sectors, target groups, tasks, etc. |
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Special experiences in work? | Trauma, violence, psychological manipulations, childhood sexual abuse. Supervising professional teams who are working with high violence cases to avoid bigger damage. Expertise for courts about parental alienation and its influence on kids and teens. |
Special interest in work? | Family relations, wellbeing and protection of children, educating professionals. |
What is your personal stance/ attitude in work? | I trust that my clients know what is right for them. For some period they just need extra support to reach this knowledge, or courage to trust it and live it. I am a curious life-student to learn from their experience and wisdom. |
What do you want to share about your private life? | |
Your task in the project | Lecturing, Therapist, Management |
Contact email | kairetalviste@gmail.com |
Merle Albrant
MA in Law
Accountancy / dissemination
Merle Albrant | |
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Education 1 - Disciplines - University degrees | L.L.M Master of Art in Law / Tallinn University of Technology |
Education 2 -Trainings esp. in "Therapy, counselling, coaching, etc | |
Fields of works Where are you working now: organisation, sectors, target groups, tasks, etc. |
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Special experiences in work? | |
Special interest in work? | New experience |
What is your personal stance/ attitude in work? | |
What do you want to share about your private life? | |
Your task in the project | |
Contact email |
Diego Marin
BA in Law, studying psychology
Gestalt Psychotherapist
Preparation of training program / trainer / dissemination
Diego Marin | |
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Education 1 - Disciplines - University degrees |
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Education 2 -Trainings esp. in "Therapy, counselling, coaching, etc | |
Fields of works Where are you working now: organisation, sectors, target groups, tasks, etc. | I work now in an NGO called YOUTH MATTERS NOW that works in Erasmus Plus projects developing training materials and courses about Gestalt therapy and Gestalt Theatre. My focus is on educators and therapists that wants to develop their competences in Gestalt Theatre. |
Special experiences in work? | Working as therapists in the field of social inclusion and youth since 1997. |
Special interest in work? | Gestalt theatre for educators and psychotherapists |
What is your personal stance/ attitude in work? | Being aware and learn from others and about myself and be helpful for those who may need my support. |
What do you want to share about your private life? | I am becoming dad in few weeks and it is being a huge transformative experience that I am so excited about. |
Your task in the project | Contribute to the development of all the work packages and contribute with my experience with Gestalt therapy. |
Contact email | diegazorama@gmail.com |
Veronika Sromova
MA in Psychology
Trainee in Gestalt Therapy
Research / trainer
Veronika Sromova | |
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Education 1 - Disciplines - University degrees | Master Degree in Psychology |
Education 2 -Trainings esp. in "Therapy, counselling, coaching, etc |
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Fields of works Where are you working now: organisation, sectors, target groups, tasks, etc. |
-lector and coordinator of training courses for youth workers and youth exchanges -research support in KA2 projects on youth mental health topics
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Special experiences in work? |
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Special interest in work? | Family relations, wellbeing and protection of children, educating professionals. |
What is your personal stance/ attitude in work? | In my work, I hold a deep commitment to fostering the emotional well-being and development of children and youth. My background in psychology and my current training in Gestalt therapy have equipped me with valuable tools to support individuals in their personal growth journeys. Additionally, my experience as a former school psychologist and methodologist of prevention has taught me the significance of early intervention and prevention strategies in addressing mental health issues. I am passionate about equipping youth workers and educators with the skills and knowledge to effectively support the young people they work with. |
What do you want to share about your private life? | I am currently starting some big chapters in my life as a freshly married and soon-to-be mom, navigating the balance work with the responsibilities and joys of starting a family. |
Your task in the project | Research phase - theoretical background terms, co-development of research questionnaire, administration of the training for youth workers in Spain. |
Contact email | vero.yomn@gmail.com |
Meet Our Team Members
Markéta Košatková
PhD in Education
Research /preparation of training program
Markéta Košatková | |
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Education 1 - Disciplines - University degrees | Doctoral degree in Education |
Education 2 -Trainings esp. in "Therapy, counselling, coaching, etc | |
Fields of works Where are you working now: organisation, sectors, target groups, tasks, etc. | Assistant professor at Department of Social Education, Faculty of Education, Masaryk university. |
Special experiences in work? | |
Special interest in work? | |
What is your personal stance/ attitude in work? | |
What do you want to share about your private life? | |
Your task in the project | Research, project co-ordination at MUNI, preparation of training program. |
Contact email | kosatkova@ped.muni.cz |
Tomaš Andrasik
MA in Education
Research/ preparation of training program /trainer
TOMAŠ ANDRASIK | |
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Education 1 - Disciplines - University degrees | Master degree in Education |
Education 2 -Trainings esp. in "Therapy, counselling, coaching, etc |
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Fields of works Where are you working now: organisation, sectors, target groups, tasks, etc. |
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Special experiences in work? | Teaching and training internationally courses on integration of drama and applied improvisation into gestalt therapy. |
Special interest in work? | |
What is your personal stance/ attitude in work? | |
What do you want to share about your private life? | |
Your task in the project | Research, team co-ordination, preparation of training program. |
Contact email | andrasik@ped.muni.cz |
Veronika Kolaříková
PhD in Social Pedagogy
Research
Veronika Kolaříková | |
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Education 1 - Disciplines - University degrees |
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Education 2 -Trainings esp. in "Therapy, counselling, coaching, etc | |
Fields of works Where are you working now: organisation, sectors, target groups, tasks, etc. | Assistant professor – Department of Social Education – Faculty of Education |
Special experiences in work? | |
Special interest in work? | I deal with the topic of Romani identity and the education of Romani people living in the Czech Republic. I used to work at the Museum of Romani Culture, where we also addressed the issue of the Romani Holocaust, a historical experience that can also be a generational trauma for some people today. |
What is your personal stance/ attitude in work? | I am interested in the connection between contemporary social structures, based on postmodern society, and the lives of social actors. Social structures influence the lives of social actors, their identities and experiences, including the experience of specific stresses and strains associated with postmodernity. Beyond the level of social structures, however, I am also interested in how people cope with these situations and conditions in their lives. |
What do you want to share about your private life? | |
Your task in the project | Research collaboration: co-development of the research questionnaire, evaluation of the questionnaire in the Czech Republic, data collection in the Czech Republic, evaluation of the research data. |
Contact email | kolarikova@ped.muni.cz |
Anna Herzigová
MA in Education
Dissemination
Anna Herzigová | |
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Education 1 - Disciplines - University degrees | Master's degree in Education |
Education 2 -Trainings esp. in "Therapy, counselling, coaching, etc |
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Fields of works Where are you working now: organisation, sectors, target groups, tasks, etc. | I work in an edu NGO called Otevřeno and also in an organization Podané ruce. In Otevřeno, I am in charge of marketing, and in Podané ruce, I do prevention programmes in educational care centres and schools, working mainly with young people from 11 to 15. I enjoy working with adults, too, I co-run a nonviolent communication training group. |
Special experiences in work? | |
Special interest in work? | |
What is your personal stance/ attitude in work? | |
What do you want to share about your private life? | I live in Brno with my partner and lots of houseplants. |
Your task in the project | In the project, I am in charge of dissemination – newsletters, social media etc. |
Contact email | herzigovaanna@gmail.com |
Study
Our first step is to look at what has already been researched and published on the topics of compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, self-care and prevention. We will summarise the key findings and use them in study to prepare our training.
In addition, we want to have direct contact with the field of work. We will survey around 300 professionals in three countries to get current data and find out what their experiences are and what professionals need.
In parallel, international and national stakeholder meetings will take place to engage the field of work. Based on the new findings, a practical training concept will be developed, and a training program will be implemented for at least 250 youth workers.
Training
A holistic training program for youth workers based on psycho-education, self-awareness and empowerment, together with self-care principles. The program includes awareness-raising approaches, strategies and tools for working with traumatized young people to prevent trauma in practice. The result is a practical training concept, a curriculum and a training manual to support youth workers.
