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Interview with Daniel Schützer, Chair of the AER Working Group on Mental Health

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The Chair of the AER Working Group on Mental Health Daniel Schützer from Region Värmland (SE), shares his motivation for taking on this role, introduces himself, talks about the achievements of the Working Group so far, and about the collaboration with other member regions and the AER YRN.

Could you please introduce yourself?

My name is Daniel Schützer and I have been in politics since a very young age and a full time politician for 11 years. In Region Värmland I am the president of the healthcare committee and a member of the regional board. Since 2023 I have also had the privilege of chairing the working group on mental health in the AER.

What motivated you in launching the working group on mental health?

Mental illness is a growing problem all over the world and especially among young people and it would be unreasonable to not do anything about it. Since we see the same challenges globally, it would be wise to cooperate and learn from each other.

Why do you think exchanging with other regional policymakers on mental health matters?

I think we all struggle to find a way forward with this problem and therefore, it is a good idea to cooperate. It is also very easy to medicalize mental illness and harder to see what we can do to find preventive measures and policies that can really help us solve this problem. Therefore, cooperation between regional policy makers is very important.

What do you want to achieve with this working group?

I hope that we all learn from each other and that by the end of the year we have an idea on what to do next. I hope that we together can identify the next step in the AER cooperation to really get closer to find policies and measures that could make a different for real.

One year and a half in this role, what are you proud of?

I am very proud of all the different activities that we have had over the year, and I am also very proud of the involvement of the Youth Regional Network. However, the most heartbreaking moment was definitely the study visit to Odessa. Being able to see how they work with mental health in the middle of a war and hearing the sound of the alarm as they proceeded to walk into the shelters was a very emotional moment. It sheds a light on how important it is to work with mental health. But if I could only pick one thing, I would have to say that I am most proud that we have achieved so many things and had such a broad take on this topic with so many people involved.

If this collaboration with other regions and the YRN was a work of art, what would it look like?

It would be a huge painting with lots of colors and probably with sound. There have been so many great contributions from all over Europe to this working group from all ages and with different perspectives. A big loud and beautiful painting!

The AER Working Group on Mental Health

It’s possible to join anytime! All AER regions are welcome to join the group, please fill in this form to become a member of the Working Group, get updates and be able to contribute and shape the activities of the group.

The group addresses mental health, a pressing concern for regional policymakers, with the World Health Organization noting that one in four Europeans will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime.

An intersectional approach is necessary to tackle systemic issues such as discrimination and economic inequality. This group focuses on crucial topics like traumatic events, addictions, resilience, prevention, research, and dealing with bullying and hate speech.

It currently includes 13 regions: Norrbotten (SE), Donegal (IE), Brussels Capital (BE), Värmland (SE), Alba (RO), Västra Götaland (SE), Jönköping (SE), Zurich (CH), East Slovenia (SI), Västerbotten (SE), Poltava (UA), Odesa (UA), Primorje Gorski Kotar (HR). Several regions joined via the Youth Regional Network (Wallonia, Dibra, Tirana, Innlandet, Donegal, Salaj, Nordland, Donegal).

This article was written by Ana Isabel Méndez López who is doing an internship on Policy & Knowledge Transfer at the AER Secretariat from November 2024 to March 2025.

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AER Vice President to speak at Rijeka conference on youth mental health

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Johannes Sundelin, AER Vice President for Sustainability, Green Transition and Health will open the Conference “Mental Health Challenges in Today’s Youth – A Regional Perspective”, which will take place in Primorje-Gorski Kotar (HR) on 22-23 October in the context of the AER Working Group on Mental Health and will feature practices from all over Europe.

Interregional peer learning for complex problems

Current needs in terms of mental health and wellbeing are on the rise all over Europe in the context of polarisation and a decline in the popularity of human rights. Regions in the AER Working Group on Mental Health share concerns about suicide, violence at school and the impact of social media, fake news and isolation to name a few.

Youth mental health is therefore an important topic for the AER working group on mental health which has worked closely with the AER Youth Regional Network since its inception in Autumn 2023. The Chair of the YRN Thematic Committee on Mental Health, Jack Mc Laughlin, will also speak on a panel on the causes of mental health problems among young people.

The complexity of youth mental health requires interdisciplinary and intersectoral cooperation. Gathering international specialists and facilitating exchanges is therefore instrumental to developing policies and practices that work at the regional level.

New solutions to current challenges through an interdisciplinary approach

The conference is envisaged as an opportunity to share insights about risk factors and contemporary changes the younger generations are facing. Through the exchange of experiences, best practices and innovative approaches to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of all types of addiction, risk behaviours and associated conditions, the conference aims to find potential new solutions to current challenges through an interdisciplinary approach based on cooperation.

About the Working Group on Mental Health

It’s possible to join anytime! All AER regions are welcome to join the group, please fill in this form to become a member of the Working Group, get updates and be able to contribute and shape the activities of the group.

The group addresses mental health, a pressing concern for regional policymakers, with the World Health Organization noting that one in four Europeans will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime.

An intersectional approach is necessary to tackle systemic issues such as discrimination and economic inequality. This group focuses on crucial topics like traumatic events, addictions, resilience, prevention, research, and dealing with bullying and hate speech.

It currently includes 13 regions: Norrbotten (SE), Donegal (IE), Brussels Capital (BE), Värmland (SE), Alba (RO), Västra Götaland (SE), Jönköping (SE), Zurich (CH), East Slovenia (SI), Västerbotten (SE), Poltava (UA), Odesa (UA), Primorje Gorski Kotar (HR). Several regions joined via the Youth Regional Network (Wallonia, Dibra, Tirana, Innlandet, Donegal, Salaj, Nordland, Donegal).

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Share your experience on Youth Mental Health in Rijeka!

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In the context of the AER Working Group on Mental Health, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County is inviting all AER members to a conference on: Mental Health Challenges in Today’s Youth – A Regional Perspective, which will feature regional practices and experts from all over wider Europe on 22-23 October.

Shared concerns across Europe, peer learning at the fore

Current needs in terms of mental health and wellbeing are on the rise all over Europe in a context of polarisation and a decline in the popularity of human rights. Recent events in the macroregion have raised concerns about violence at school and the impact of social media, fake news and isolation to name a few.

At global level there are major concerns around youth mental health, which is also a main topic for the AER working group on mental health and one raised by the AER Youth Regional Network.

On the occasion of the AER Summer Academy the AER Working Group on Mental Health, together with the AER Youth Regional Network, organised a workshop on youth mental health and prevention providing insights on regional practices which have shown to work.

To dive deeper into this topic Primorje Gorski Kotar is organising a two-days conference on 22-23 October in collaboration with the Teaching Institute for Public Health of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the AER Working Group on Mental Health and the AER Youth Regional Network.

Practical information is now available on the event webpage.

A need for cross-sectoral approaches

The complexity of the topic of mental health, especially in the younger population, requires interdisciplinary and intersectoral cooperation. The conference is envisaged as an opportunity to share insights about risk factors and contemporary changes the younger generations are facing. Through the exchange of experiences, best practices and innovative approaches to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of all types of addiction, risk behaviours and associated conditions, the conference aims to find potential new solutions to current challenges through an interdisciplinary approach based on cooperation.

Your region can be featured in the programme of this event! Contact AER Coordinator Policy & Knowledge Transfer Coordinator Johanna Pacevicius

 

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Mental Health Challenges in Today’s Youth – A Regional Perspective, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, 22-23 October

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Welcome to the enchanting Rijeka, former European Capital of Culture, the seat of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, future European Region of Gastronomy and European Region of Sport!

In the context of the AER Working Group on Mental Health, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County is inviting all AER members to a conference on: Mental Health Challenges in Today’s Youth – A Regional Perspective, which will feature regional practices and experts from all over wider Europe.

Current needs in terms of mental health and wellbeing are on the rise all over Europe in a context of polarisation and a decline in the popularity of human rights. Recent events in the macroregion have raised concerns around violence at school and the impact of social media, fake news and isolation to name a few.

At global level there are major concerns around youth mental health, which is also a main topic for the AER working group on mental health and one raised by the YRN.

Mental health is a key resource for coping with the changes and crises that are occurring in our everyday lives. Economic crisis, explosion of violence, war migration and growing demographic change, further acceleration of digitization and introduction of artificial intelligence inevitably enhances social differences and the gap between those who have social and personal resources and those who are lagging behind.

The complexity of the topic of mental health, especially in the younger population, requires interdisciplinary and intersectoral cooperation. The conference is envisaged as an opportunity to share insights about risk factors and contemporary changes the younger generations are facing. Through the exchange of experiences, best practices and innovative approaches to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of all types of addiction, risk behaviours and associated conditions, the conference aims to find potential new solutions to current challenges through an interdisciplinary approach based on cooperation.

If you would like your region to be featured in the programme of this event, please contact AER Coordinator Policy & Knowledge Transfer Coordinator Johanna Pacevicius

 

Draft programme

Please note that the programme, practical information and registration form are all to be found directly on the event website

Photo credit: xbrchx

A dense year for the Working Group on Mental Health

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The Working Group on Mental Health, established in Autumn 2023, aims to facilitate knowledge sharing between regions in wider Europe. The group is chaired by Daniel Schützer County Councillor from Värmland (SE), who is supported in his engagement by Kaltum Hussein as the Seconded Officer for the Working Group.

The Working Group works closely with the Youth Regional Network, which has been invited to contribute and share their perspectives, findings and experiences from the inception of the Working Group. All members of the Working Group can suggest and take the lead on the organisation of an activity (conference, workshop, study visit, webinar…)

Below is a recap of the activities which were organised in the context of the Working group, between June 2023 and June 2024.

Current Work in Progress

  • Members of the working group are collaborating with the Youth Regional Network to facilitate a workshop on mental health on the occasion of the AER Summer Academy in Nordland (NO), in August 2024 (registrations open until 10 July 2024)
  • A conference on “Mental Health Challenges in Today’s Youth: A Regional Perspective” will be organised on 22-23 October 2024 in Primorje Gorski Kotar

A Moving Virtual Study Visit to Odesa – 23 April 2024

The AER Working Group on Mental Health organised a study visit to Odesa, to respond to the wish Members of the Working Group to hear more about regional policies and practices via virtual study visits. This enables policymakers, and field specialists to:

  • learn from each other
  • learn about regional specificities
  • discover new perspectives and angles for policymaking
  • understand the rationale and approaches used in the development of mental health policies
  • learn about implementation challenges and elements of success.

The war in Ukraine has led to mass displacement of people who were forced to leave their homes in search of safety and shelter.

The study visit was organised in two parts on mental and physical rehabilitation, and second, a part on education and addressing the needs of children in the context of the war in Ukraine.

Several actions, either at the Odesa Mental Health Center, or at the Center for Psychological Support for Veterans and their Families, are preparing families and inhabitants in general to actively support the reintegration of veterans by exercising empathy, managing expectations, and adapting communication modes.
Based on the request of members of the working group, the Odesa team focused the online study visit on the measures for children, be it in mental rehabilitation or education. It has to be said however, that the region is also implementing specific measures to support women and prevent gender-based violence.

Regions, organisations and individuals who would like to help Odesa can check this page which provides further elements about the situation in the region and lists very practical needs.

Workshop on “Fostering resilience, making health a priority” – 29 November 2023

The first workshop of the AER Working Group on mental health took place in Lower Austria (AU) and was organised together with the AER Youth Regional Network.

The workshop examined the following questions:

  • Why are we seeing such an increase in the need for mental health support?
  • How to create more resilience and what would it mean to be strong nowadays?
  • How can this be used for prevention?
  • How to make health and wellbeing a priority across policies?

Experiences from Värmland (SE), the Canary Islands (ES), Nordland (NO)/ the Youth Regional Network, Odessa (UA), East and West Slovenia (SI), Vienna (AU), Korça (AL), Västra Götaland (SE), Catalonia (ES)… were shared on the response to emergency situations, post-traumatic stress and how to address mental health needs in such situations.

Kick-off Meeting – 27 October 2023

The AER Working Group on Mental Health kicked off activities on 27 October 2023 online. Members of the group discussed what they hoped to find in this group, and what they could share. While circumstances vary greatly across regions, all participants shared the observation that there is an increase in the need for mental health support and care, in particular for young people. They also nominated Daniel Schützer, Värmland (SE) as Chair of the Working Group.

The areas of cooperation on which the Working Group decided to focus are the following:

  • Traumatic events
  • Addictions
  • Growing resilience
  • prevention
  • research
  • Dealing with bullying & hate speech

Adoption of the proposal to create a Working Group on Mental Health – June 2023

The proposal to develop a working group on mental health was presented to the AER General Assembly in Barcelona, in June 2023 by Värmland (SE), with the support of Alba (RO), Arad (RO), Kharkiv (UA), Odesa (UA), Norrbotten(SE), and Vojvodina (RS). Since then several other regions have joined the activities of the group.

About the Working Group on Mental Health

It’s possible to join anytime! All AER regions are welcome to join the group, please fill in this form to become a member of the Working Group, get updates and be able to contribute and shape the activities of the group.

The group addresses mental health, a pressing concern for regional policymakers, with the World Health Organization noting that one in four Europeans will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated issues like stress, anxiety, and depression, with significant economic impacts estimated at over €600 billion annually by the European Commission. Addressing youth mental health is particularly crucial, as half of all mental health disorders begin by age 14.

An intersectional approach is necessary to tackle systemic issues such as discrimination and economic inequality. This group focuses on crucial topics like traumatic events, addictions, resilience, prevention, research, and dealing with bullying and hate speech.

It currently includes 12 regions: Norrbotten (SE), Donegal (IE), Brussels Capital (BE), Värmland (SE), Alba (RO), Västra Götaland (SE), Jönköping (SE), Zurich (CH), East Slovenia (SI), Västerbotten (SE), Poltava (UA), Odesa (UA). Several regions joined via the Youth Regional Network (Wallonia, Dibra, Tirana, Innlandet, Donegal, Salaj, Nordland, Donegal).

It is possible to create an AER Working Group on any policy area, the mission of such groups and processes are explained on the Working groups page. For more information please contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius.

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Mental health: Virtual visit to Odesa (UA)

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Registrations are open for the virtual visit to Odesa on 23 April from 10:00-12:00 CET via Zoom, organised by the AER Working Group on Mental Health. The event will seek to explore measures implemented in the region to address mental health needs, and how these have changed in the current context of the war. A particular focus will be on measures for children.

Register Here

Peer learning for mental health policies

The AER Working Group on Mental Health, which kicked off activities in October 2023, is chaired by Daniel Schützer (Värmland, SE). The working group is collaborating closely with the AER Youth Regional Network.

On the occasion of the Winter Dialogues in Lower Austria (AU), the group held its first in-person workshop. Members exchanged about the challenges linked to social isolation, deep fake and changing relationships in an online world, as well as emergencies such as natural and geopolitical disasters.

Members of the group expressed interest in hearing more about regional policies and practices via virtual study visits. This enables policymakers, and field specialists to:

  • learn from each other
  • learn about regional specificities
  • discover new perspectives and angles for policymaking
  • understand the rationale and approaches used in the development of mental health policies
  • learn about implementation challenges and elements of success.

For more information on AER Working Groups, please contact AER Policy Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius

Sailor’s wife monument in Odesa, Ukraine, Picture by Денис Давыдов on Unsplash

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Online study visit on Mental Health in Odesa -23 April 2024

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On the occasion of the AER Winter Dialogues, the members of the AER Working Group on Mental Health agreed to organise a virtual study visit to Odesa (UA) to learn about measures implemented in the region, to address mental health needs in the current context of the war, in particular for children

Peer learning for mental health policies

The AER Working Group on Mental Health, which kicked off activities in October 2023, is chaired by Daniel Schützer (Värmland, SE). The working group is collaborating closely with the AER Youth Regional Network.

On the occasion of the Winter Dialogues in Lower Austria (AU), the group held its first in-person workshop. Members exchanged about the challenges linked to social isolation, deep fake and changing relationships in an online world, as well as emergencies such as natural and geopolitical disasters.

Members of the group expressed interest in hearing more about regional policies and practices via virtual study visits. This enables policymakers, and field specialists to:

  • learn from each other
  • learn about regional specificities
  • discover new perspectives and angles for policymaking
  • understand the rationale and approaches used in the development of mental health policies
  • learn about implementation challenges and elements of success.

Discover Odesa’s policies and practices for mental health

(click on hyperlinks to access presentations)

Introduction, technicalities

Johanna Pacevicius, AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer

Welcome words

Daniel Schützer, Chair of the AER Working Group on Mental Health

Moderation

Kaltum Hussein, International advisor, Department of Regional Development, Värmland (SE)

Introduction by Odesa

Vadym Shkarivskiyi, Deputy Chairman of the Odesa Regional Council

Presentation #1 by Odesa:

Mental & physical rehabilitation
in the Odesa Region

Anna Velichko, Regional coordinator of the All-Ukrainian mental health program “How are you?”

Yuliya Yermakova, Psychotherapist of Odesa Regional Mental Health Center
Video 1 Rehabilitation center
Video 2 Maternity hospital in shelter
Video 3 Hospital of Bolgrad District: rehabilitation & salt room

Presentation #2 by Odessa:

Department of education and science of Odesa

 Oksana Uglik, Head of the Department of Preschool, Correctional Education and Social Work of the Department of Education and Science
Video 4 School
Video 5 School in the shelter of Safianove

 

To join the AER Working Group, exchange with peers and contribute to shaping future activities please fill in this form

For more information on AER Working Groups, please contact AER Policy Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius

 

Photo credits: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Working Group on Mental Health kicks-off activities

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The AER Working Group on Mental Health organised its kick-off meeting on 27 October to define priorities and develop activities for the coming months.

In particular, the group decided to organise a workshop on mental health on the occasion of the AER Winter Dialogues in Sankt Pöllten (AT) (registrations until 15/11/2023).

Getting to know each other

The working group aims to be a space for targeted experience sharing, finding resources, and strategic intelligence, as well as developing joint activities. For this to be possible it is essential to get to know each other and hear why mental health is an important topic at the moment in different regions across Europe.

Politicians from Värmland (SE), and Jönköping (SE), a whole team of mental health professionals from the hospital in Alba (RO), the chief specialist of the medical aid organisation department of the Department of Health of the Odessa Military Administration, civil servants from Donegal (IE), Västra Götaland (SE), and Alba (RO) and Youth Regional Network representatives from Salaj (RO) and Tirana (AL), discussed priorities for their regions, why the topic is current now, what they hope to find in the collaboration with other regions. This allowed the group to zoom in and out on the different levels of intervention and policymaking, across wider Europe.

Defining priority areas for exchanges

Members of the group discussed what they hoped to find in this group, and what they could share. While circumstances vary greatly across regions, all participants shared the observation that there is an increase in the need for mental health support and care, in particular for young people.

The areas of cooperation on which the Working Group decided to focus are the following:

  • Traumatic events
  • Addictions
  • Growing resilience
  • prevention
  • research
  • Dealing with bullying & hate speech

Close collaboration with the YRN

When making the proposal for the setting up of a working group on mental health, Daniel Schützer, County Councilor in Värmland (SE) was adamant that the working group should collaborate with the AER Youth Regional Network.

The Youth Regional Network (YRN) is a cross-regional youth platform, promoting active youth participation at regional level since 2008. Composed of regional-level youth councils, parliaments and organisations in AER’s network and membership, it provides young people with an opportunity to express policy recommendations, foster debate and capacity-building, exchange good practices, reach out to decision-makers, and influence policies. The Youth Regional Network works on

  • Youth Participation & Governance
  • Mental Health & Wellbeing
  • Gender Equality & Women Empowerment

Both YRN Vice-President Norbert Nagy (Salaj, RO) and the YRN Chair of the Thematic Committee on Gender Equality & Women Empowerment, Maylinda Bajrami (Tirana, AL) participated in this meeting of the Working Group on Mental Health. They shared why this mattered for them, for their regions and the topics that are of high importance to them.

About the Working Group on Mental Health

The Working Group on Mental Health is currently chaired by Daniel Schützer, Värmland (SE) for a period of 2 years.

The proposal to develop a working group on mental health was presented to the AER General Assembly in Barcelona, in June 2023 by Värmland (SE), with the support of Alba (RO), Arad (RO), Kharkiv (UA), Odesa (UA), Norrbotten(SE), and Vojvodina (RS). Since the General Assembly last June, several other regions including Nordland (NO), Västerbotten (SE), Västra-Götaland (SE) Brussels Capital (BE) have also expressed interest in joining the activities of the group.

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[Registrations open] Working group on Mental Health | Kick-off meeting

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The AER General Assembly in Barcelona in June 2023 adopted the creation of a working group on mental health.

The group will meet online on 27 October from 14:00-16:00 CEST for the first time to define its action plan for the coming months. This meeting is open to all AER members

Kicking-off activities

The proposal to develop a working group on the mental mealth was presented by Värmland (SE), with the support of Alba (RO), Arad (RO), Kharkiv (UA), Odesa (UA), Norrbotten(SE), and Vojvodina (RS). Since the General Assembly last June, several other regions including Nordland (NO), Västerbotten (SE), Västra-Götaland (SE) Brussels Capital (BE) have also expressed interest in joining the activities of the group. All AER regions are welcome to register!

During this first meeting, AER members interested in sharing experiences and knowledge on the topic of mental health will:

  • get to know each other (pitch on the region)
  • share why the topic matters for them now
  • share how the working group will create value for them: what they expect, how they would like to contribute
  • agree on how to collaborate with the AER Youth Regional Network, which has also been working on the topic
  • define activities for the coming months

The group will also agree on who should be the Chair of the Working Group

More information on how to set-up a working group at AER here.

For any questions, please contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius

 

Picture by Sonia Sanmartin on Unsplash

COVID-19 – Mental Health & Well-being of Healthcare Professionals

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The Chair of the AER Digital Health Network, Donna Hendersson, Scotland (UK) is pleased to invite AER members and partners on 16 June 2021 from 11:00-12:30 CET for a webinar on supporting the psychological wellbeing of healthcare professionals. The event will highlight the potential of digital solutions and the importance of digital (technological) literacy in providing mental health support.

Knowledge exchange to accelerate change

Capacity-building and knowledge exchange is both the foundation and aspiration of SCIROCCO Exchange EU Health Programme funded project (www.sciroccoexchange.com). The ultimate objective of this project is to support health and social care authorities in their transformation towards sustainable integrated and more efficient health and social care systems through better understanding of local needs, mutual learning, access to tailored evidence and improvement planning.

To achieve this objective, AER developed the SCIROCCO Exchange Knowledge Transfer Programme to facilitate the exchange of experience, good practices and lessons learned in order to speed up the adoption of integrated care in European regions and countries. This Knowledge Transfer Programme builds on the expertise of AER in peer learning for policy innovation.

Enormous psychological pressure for healthcare workers

The COVID-19 pandemics has proven to be a catalyst of change and of greater demand for coordinated and integrated health and social care services, with healthcare professionals and citizens at the centre of this change. As a result, healthcare professionals in particular are under enormous psychological pressure with stress, fatigues and anxiety being present in over 86% of health and social care workers worldwide (Vizeh, M.2020).

The webinar will feature examples of:

  • Assessing the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on nurses and midwives at Odense Universal Hospital (South Denmark) including personal and work concerns of nurses/midwives during the COVID-19 outbreak and level of emotional distress experienced by nurses/midwives during the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • PRoMis National Well-being Hub for those working in Health and Social Care in Scotland.

The outcomes of this webinar will also help to inform the knowledge of other regions and countries in providing mental health and wellbeing support for healthcare professionals.

Draft Agenda

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
Colorful Hands 2 of 3 / George Fox students Annabelle Wombacher, Jared Mar, Sierra Ratcliff and Benjamin Cahoon collaborated on the mural. / Article: https://www.orartswatch.org/painting-the-town-in-newberg/

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Workshop on youth mental health: get involved!

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On the occasion of this year Autumn Plenaries in Nancy (FR), AER is organising a workshop on youth mental health. All regions can take this excellent opportunity to define a new project, closer to their citizens!

AER takes action

As members from very diverse regions across wider Europe identified Youth mental health as one of the growing and most urgent issues all over Europe at the 2016 Autumn Plenaries in Izmir, AER decided to take action! This year, AER doubled its efforts to foster cooperation and improve regional policies in the field. Mutual learning and practice exchange proved to be a great catalyst for policy design and implementation. At the Spring Plenaries in London, members decided to develop an online working group in Slack on Youth mental health

Led by Catalonia and Norrbotten, this new working group aims not only at enhancing experience sharing between regions. Its objective is also to define an innovative joint European project in the field. To this end a first operational meeting took place at the General Assembly in Austria. It focussed on sharing opportunities and expertise on mental health and mainly discussed finances and EU project funding. A successful first brainstorming activity that leads the way to finding the perfect common project for AER members.

September Workshop: where things happen!

The workshop in Nancy will allow to further develop the project and define outputs which add value for regional stakeholders. The idea is to have a ready-to-go proposal once calls for projects are launched. A first milestone would be the submission of an Erasmus+ project for good practice sharing to be finalised by February 2018.

This AER project proposal aims to tackle youth mental health concerns in a practical way which adds value for citizens. Working closer to citizens is a longstanding priority for AER. As always, AER focusses on bringing added value for all its members, especially involving all regional stakeholders. It is still possible to join this project consortium: all regions are welcome to contribute!

 

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

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Follow up on youth mental health: join our working meeting at 2017 AER General Assembly

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Following the discussion on youth mental health on occasion of the AER Spring Plenaries, AER Secretariat is fully supporting the development of actions on this topic having AER members chosen to create a specific working group aimed at both sharing experiences and defining a joint European project proposal. To this extent, AER Committee 2 on Social Policy & Public Health and Committee 3 on Culture, Education & Youth decided to join forces and use interregional cooperation to improve policies in this field.

To move this decision into actions, we take the opportunity of member regions gathering together at 2017 AER General Assembly to organise a first operational meeting in order to brainstorm on this topic, sharing previous experiences, analysing EU funding opportunities & calls that could finance the development of a project idea and planning next steps.

This meeting will take place within the General Assembly, on 31st May from h 12:00 to h 13:00, and it is structured as follows:

  • Catalonia and Norbotten, which are co-leading the working on youth mental health, will share their background on this topic and their ideas on how to move this at interregional level;
  • AER Secretariat will present an overview of the main EU funded programmes and initiatives that could support the development of a joint project idea as well as potential experts in this field that we could support us for the content;
  • Member regions are welcome to also share their prevision experiences on this topic and objective to improve them;
  • Planning of next steps in terms of project development and sharing good practices on this topic;

If you wish to join this meeting (please, remember to bring sandwich/lunch with you!!) and/or to get more information regarding the working group on youth mental health, please contact Johanna Pacevicius – AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer, and Agnese Pantaloni – AER Coordinator for European projects & Private partnerships.

Useful links for background information:

Johannes Sundelin, “The difficulty for young people to relate to others, and why this is a problem for Norrbotten”

Angels Piédrola, “Youth inclusion & social skills: experiences from Catalonia”

Youth: inclusion & social skills

Youth mental health: pressing needs across Europe

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Youth mental health: pressing needs across Europe

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On the occasion of the AER Spring plenaries, regional policy makers from wider Europe made a point on working together on the topic of youth mental health and improve regional policies in the field.

Health, youth and the future of Europe

Agneta Granström, Norrbotten (SE)

The difficulty for young people to relate to others is a growing severe problem across Europe as was identified by AER members on the occasion of the Autumn Plenaries in Izmir. This issue translates into different social problems, such as early school leaving, substance abuse, violence or extremism. “We need transversal approaches. In Catalonia the departments in charge of health, education and youth now work together to address the situation in an efficient way, this needs to be the case at interregional level too” says Marta Vilalta, Chair of the AER Subcommittee on Youth.

This is why the AER Committee 2 on Social Policy & Public Health and Committee 3 on Culture, Education & Youth decided to join forces and use interregional cooperation to improve policies. Mutual learning has proved to be an efficient approach for policy design and implementation, this is why in AER members invest time in good practice exchange. Why reinvent the wheel if we can share knowledge? Mutual learning at policy making level has therefore direct impact for citizens. Interregional cooperation is probably an area where results are most tangible for citizens as the effects of policy learning shape policy making in a direct and constant way. This is why for the future of Europe interregional cooperation and policy learning are so crucial.

” The impacts of youth mental health are dramatic on society at large. However we have proved in Norrbotten that coordinated action in this area produces fantastic results. There is hope! rates of depression have dropped in two test municipality in our region as a direct consequence of our action. We need to share the good news.” insists Agneta Granström, President of the AER Committee on Social Policy & Public Health.

Nothing about us without us!

Johannes Sundelin, Norrbotten (SE)

While the root causes of youth mental health issues are varied, one of the main issues is the need to talk with young people and not about them. “Young people repeatedly insist on being considered as experts on their own reality in everyday life, as a study we carried out shows” explained Johannes Sundelin, County Councillor in Norrbotten (SE). Empowerment, Inclusion, in short taking young people seriously. This means that young people don’t deem it sufficient to be included in the validation phase of policy making but would like to provide inputs which are considered expert content during the whole process. Participation should be made easy, adapted to the reality of young people… and fun. AER has been a long time advocate of youth participation especially via youth councils. The Merabet report published in 2014 provides a series of examples and recommendations on youth participation. However what is at stake is more than the setting up of youth councils as such. This was also highlighted by the 2015 AER conference on participatory approaches in Nordjylland. Young people in Nordjylland were invited to contribute to the region’s priorities via Twitter during the #Nordpol14 event. Important elements are the communication means which are chosen, the way communication is envisaged and the consideration for young people themselves.

Joint action

On the occasion of the definition of their action plans, AER members chose to create a specific working group on youth mental health which will aim at both sharing experiences and defining a joint European project proposal. During the workshop on youth inclusion & social skills, participants further exchanged and specified the needs they are faced with in their home regions. Currently, the AER team on funding and projects is investigating funding opportunities. A project development meeting will take place on the occasion of the AER General Assembly in Lower Austria. Regions interested in cooperating on this topic can contact AER Coordinator for Policy & Knowledge Transfer Johanna Pacevicius.

Useful links

Johannes Sundelin, “The difficulty for young people to relate to others, and why this is a problem for Norrbotten”
Angels Piédrola, “Youth inclusion & social skills: experiences from Catalonia”

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW! EU-Belong at the European Citizens’ Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society: creating a safe and healthy European society through democratic participation

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On 17 May 2024, Emanuela Pisanó, AER European Project Manager, joined the European Citizens’ Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society, sharing insights from the AMIF-funded EU-Belong project. Afterwards, the European Commission shared the availability to release this exclusive interview, that demonstrate the need for collective action at all levels to build a safe and inclusive Europe.

Do you answer your phone when receiving a call from an unknown number? Well, you should because it might be the European Commission calling. 

After making citizen participation in democratic processes and policies a strong pillar of its mandate, the Commission established European Citizens’ Panels as a regular feature of democratic life in the EU. Each Citizens’ Panel brings together 150 randomly selected citizens from all 27 EU Member States, reflecting Europe’s diversity and young generations. The selection process begins with the random generation of phone numbers via computer software, enabling outreach to individuals across the entire EU. Once participants’ availability is confirmed and a sample representative of the EU’s demographic makeup is created, the selected citizens embark on an in-depth journey. Together, they discuss specific policy questions and provide recommendations on critical issues that affect us all.

On 17 May 2024, Emanuela Pisanó, AER European Project Manager, was invited to share with the European Citizens’ Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society the experiences developed in the framework of EU-Belong. The project demonstrates the role that regional authorities can play in tackling hate in society and fostering social cohesion. The application of intercultural integration strategies is paramount in the construction of a welcoming Europe, where people from all walks of life can contribute in the economic and societal growth. Together, the EU-Belong and Citizen’s Panel initiative demonstrate how democratic participation contributes to the construction of a safe and healthy European society.

Leveraging the great opportunity given by the European Commission, the AER team produced a related interview, that not only highlighted the importance of the discussed topic, but also provided great material to inspire more action at national, regional and local levels. Both the Commission and the AER encourage public authorities to discover more about the Citizen Panel and EU-Belong initiatives, and get in touch to participate in the next steps of their implementation.

We thank the European Commission for the availability to release this interview, sharing great insights and inspiring experiences with the Assembly of European Regions’ network and members.

Why is it essential to focus on addressing and mitigating hatred in society? 

The European Union has enshrined values such as respect for ‘human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of person belonging to minorities’ in its founding treaties. All forms of hatred and intolerance are incompatible with these fundamental rights and values. 

Unfortunately, Europe is currently facing a concerning rise in hate speech and hate crimes, both online and offline. We realise that while we may all think of knowing what hate is, it is not easy to define. Manifestations of hate are multiple, diverse, and complex. The building blocks of hatred can range from biases each of us keeps as an inner feeling, all the way through to the most severe life-threatening manifestations of violence motivated by hate and intolerance. It shows that hatred can range from subtle forms to more explicit ones and can manifest in many forms, from verbal abuse or insults to bullying, harassment, disinformation, threats, or calls for violence, all the way to physical violence or even murder. And hate is not only wounding the direct victims, it affects us all as it silences entire sectors of the population, limiting freedom of expression and reducing the space for public debate and the quality of our democracies.

Recognizing this, the European Commission, in conjunction with the High Representative, has emphasized in a Communication ‘No Place for hate: a Europe united against hatred’ the need for an inclusive dialogue across the EU to address these issues and uphold our shared values of equality, human rights, and dignity, as outlined in the EU Treaty. 

To facilitate this dialogue, the European Commission has convened a European Citizens’ Panel that worked on a set of recommendations that will support the European Commission’s future work on tackling hate speech and hate crimes. More concretely, we wanted to hear from citizens – what can we do about hate and how can we enhance mutual respect in our societies?  

Can you explain what a Citizens’ Engagement Platform is and describe its significance for policymakers? 

To allow more people to participate in these important discussions, the European Commission has launched a Citizens’ Engagement Platform. The Citizens’ Engagement Platform is an online platform where citizens can easily make proposals and present their ideas. It offers them the possibility to contribute to one or more debates on policy topics set and framed by the Commission and comment on other citizens’ contributions in the 24 official EU languages. The ideas from the platform are analysed and presented in a final report, which is shared with the responsible Commission service working on the proposal. 

What is more, contributions from the platform serve as an inspiration and can impact the deliberations of the citizens participating in the European Citizens’ Panel.

Since the launch of the platform in February 2024, citizens had a possibility to contribute to a debate on Energy Efficiency. Moreover, they can still share their ideas on the topic of Tackling Hatred in Society. More debates on policy issues that have a direct impact on people’s lives will be launched soon. 

We encourage anyone to check the platform and share their ideas as well as spreading the word about this citizen-centered tool.

How do you envision final citizens’ recommendations being utilised across various European regions to drive positive change?

Bringing people from all walks of life to deliberate together while finding consensus can sound as a challenging task. However, at the end of the process, thanks to the carefully designed methodology and inclusive facilitation, they always come up with clear and grounded recommendations. 

From 5 April to 19 May, 150 randomly selected citizens from across the EU have been coming together to discuss the various causes and drivers of hatred in the EU and different fields of actions to address them. At the end, they presented 21 recommendations for the European Commission how to tackle hatred in society. These recommendations cover wide range of areas, including the hate crime and hate speech response system, the role of media and politics, digital and technology, education, and citizens’ participation and social inclusion. 

The final recommendations from the European Citizens’ Panel on tackling hatred in society, have the potential to inspire positive change at the local, regional, and national levels. While most recommendations may be directed at EU institutions, many can be adopted by local and regional authorities to improve social cohesion and combat hatred in their communities. In fact, all recommendations were presented and discussed during the High Level Group on Combating Hate Speech and Hate Crime meeting on 12-13 June 2024 with participation of national authorities, international organisations, EU agencies, and EU-wide civil society organisations with a positive reception and recognition.

In the meantime, the European Commission services (coordinated by the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers which leads on the policy) are currently working on the follow up to the recommendations, involving other Commission services and EU institutions with a view to provide feedback to the citizens on how their input was taken up. 

Are you a public authority interested in developing initiatives to tackle hatred in society?

About the project

EU-Belong is a 3-year project co-funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the European Union. Coordinated by the Assembly of European Regions (AER) within the framework of its Intercultural Regions Network (IRN), it is implemented in partnership with ten regional authorities from seven European countries: Arad and Timiș in Romania; Catalonia and Navarra in Spain; Donegal in Ireland; Emilia-Romagna in Italy; Leipzig in Germany; Pomerania and Poznan in Poland; Salzburg in Austria; and two technical partners: ART-ER Attrattività Ricerca Territorio and Istituto Economico Cooperazione Internazionale (ICEI).

Stay up to date with all updates by following EU-Belong on X/Twitter @EU_Belong
For questions, please contact Emanuela Pisanó, EU-Belong Project Manager at [email protected] 

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EU4Health Programme: new calls for proposals open

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EU4Health, with a budget of €5.3 billion, is the fourth and largest of the EU health programmes that provides funding to national authorities, health organisations and other bodies through grants and public procurement, contributing to a healthier Europe.

The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) implements the EU4Health programme by managing calls for proposals and tenders from 2021 to 2027 and recently launched eight calls for proposals under the EU4Health 2022 Annual Work Programme.

The total budget amounts to €107.3 million and the deadline to apply is 24 May 2022.

The open calls are the following:

Additional information on these calls is available at this link, where you can find the recording and presentations of the dedicated info session organised by the HaDEA.

If you are planning to submit a project within these calls and you search for partners having the same purpose, please do not hesitate to contact the AER Project Unit.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash.

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