Toolkit A and C are available as an e-Book and Part B as an e-book and print-version
The WORK4PSY Toolkit (PART A): Career Services for Mental Health NEETs (pdf) >>
The toolkit that was created, provides Mental Health Professionals, Career Counsellors, MH NEETs and their Informal Carers, local agencies and authorities and all other interested parties, with the necessary knowledge and Interactive Career Counselling tools, in order to enhance MH NEETs work and education integration.
The ECCpsy-KIT offers information and guidelines in various thematics chosen to assist and support all interested parties and raise awareness. The tools and activities that are included in the toolkit are practical, easy to use and oriented to each target group. The ECC psy-KIT guides all interested parties through the work and education process of MH NEETs from the first stage of self-assessment to the final stage of on-going monitoring, aiming to achieve a higher number of MH NEETs in the labour market and education.
The WORK4PSY Toolkit (PART B): the Work4psy career intervention model (pdf) >>
The Work4Psy model for MH NEETs is based on the theoretical frameworks of social constructionism and narrative perspectives and borrows elements and characteristics from the Supported Employment framework, in particular the IPS model and PEPSAEE’s model of work rehabilitation for MH users.
The model emphasises early intervention, benefits counselling and collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. It focuses on meaning making and co – constructing a vocational self though commitment and active involvement both from the MH NEETs part and the career counsellor’s part. Networking, collaborations and the active involvement of informal carers as well as their support, are significant elements of the proposed model.
FOCUS GROUPS
Rationale of focus groups
The use of focus groups was chosen in order to gather data concerning the target groups’ beliefs, opinions, perceptions, attitudes and feelings in more depth. Focus groups were an extremely valuable tool to investigate the needs of the four WORK4PSY project target groups.
Focus groups were conducted in Poland, Italy, Greece and Germany during the second half of 2020.
Methodology
Research questions / main themes
The starting point of the focus groups’ thematic was the results of the literature review as well as the partners’ expertise. The questions/ themes were designed to: (a) investigate the topics that WORK4PSY focuses on and provide concrete data, (b) be sufficiently stimulating, (c) be relevant to the participants, and (d) be open, so as to lead to in-depth responses and rich data.
As pertaining to the above the four themes that were deemed relevant were:
- Significance of work and career in general
- Existing career services
- Difficulties that they face
- Assistance they need
A synthesis was performed in these analyses and the results are summarized as follows for each main theme:
The significance of work and career in general is summarised in these main themes:
- Work is seen as an important element of MH NEETs’ psychosocial rehabilitation
- Work is viewed a means for recovery and self-development
- Work has a tangible (autonomy, security, structure) and intangible (existential merits) value
The main themes that emerged for the issue of existing career services were:
- There are enough organisations that offer support and have adequate funding, but the system is too complicated, young people are not informed of the services offered and there is lack of networking and cooperation
- There is a limited number of organisations that offer support, limited information about them, lack of orientation and early interventions
- Stigma and lack of awareness is an obstacle to using services supporting the process of work integration
The difficulties that the target groups reported that they face can be mainly summarized in four issues:
- Stigma and lack of awareness
- Labour market and organizational problems
- Specific needs of MH NEETs not met
- Lack of early interventions
The assistance needed may be summarized in three dimensions:
- Systemic and institutional changes that need to be promoted
- Proactive and early interventions that need to be established
- A shift in paradigm towards a capabilities approach