Projects

Under the project supported by International Rescue Committee PIN provides psychological support to service providers directly working with refugees at different locations in Serbia.

Through individual and group support meetings, service providers have the opportunity to work on establishing healthy boundaries, setting realistic expectations, work through numerous traumatic experiences shared with them by beneficiaries, identify and practice adaptive coping strategies, and explore possibilities for establishing and maintaining good cooperation with different fellow organization on the field.

In order to ensure evidence-based practice and valid recommendations, PIN is conducting studies which aim to identify protective and risk factors related to burnout syndrome and secondary traumatization.

Under the project funded by DFID and supported by IRC, running from July 2016 to June 2017, PIN provided psychosocial support to refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers’ children, unaccompanied children below 12 years of age, and unaccompanied minors 12 years and older in Serbia.

• The main activities included:
• Provision of psychological support
• Implementation of educational workshops with the aim of developing life skills and increasing English language skills and computer knowledge
• Referrals to legal and medical services
• Information provision and advocacy
• Supporting the process of enrollment in the formal education system
• Research on the needs and capacities of refugee children
• Awareness-raising activities on the refugee crisis in local communities

During this project, PIN supported more than 400 refugee children and minors, as well as more than 50 parents accommodated in the camps in Krnjaca and Obrenovac, Bogovadja, Banja Koviljaca, Sjenica and Tutin. Additionally, PIN organized awareness raising events “Refugees in Serbia – children’ perspective” for children in local schools in Lajkovac, Nis and Sombor.

Under the “Provision of Psychological Assistance to Vulnerable Refugees in Serbia” project founded by UNHCR, PIN provides psychosocial support to refugees and asylum seekers at different locations in Serbia. Our activities are focused on providing Psychological First Aid and empowerment, individual and group support and counseling, conducting psychological assessments, and conducting preventive activities such as educational, psychoeducational, occupational, and creative workshops. A special focus is placed on providing support to victims of sexual and gender based violence, unaccompanied and separated children and minors, and psychologically vulnerable individuals. In addition, PIN actively supports the integration process through Serbian and English language lessons, as well as organizing joint activities and workshops for refugees and the local population, with the aim of encouraging cultural exchange, reducing prejudices, and promoting tolerance.

In order to ensure evidence-based practice, PIN is conducting numerous studies regarding the current state of mental health among refugees, their strengths, difficulties they are facing, evaluation of support systems, and the efficiency of varied psychological approaches and interventions.

In addition, PIN conducts numerous trainings on the psychological aspects of the refugee crisis for professionals directly working with refugees. PIN is actively involved in sensitization, raising awareness, and advocacy regarding this matter.

Since June 2017, PIN is engaged in project “Monitoring accessibility of psychosocial support to refugees in Serbia“ founded by Divac Foundation. The project aims to strengthen collaborations between 20 organizations working along the “Balkan route” and bolster their capacities to efficiently identify and document availability and accessibility of psychosocial support to different groups of refugees in order to establish a more efficient communication between relevant actors engaged in the migrant crisis in Serbia. The overall objective of the project is to establish a systematic protocol within the organization for identification, documenting and reporting on human rights violations in regards to accessibility of psychosocial support to refugees in order to provide adequate and adjusted assistance, in a timely manner and in coordination with all relevant actors to most vulnerable individuals.

PIN implemented the IRC-funded project Supporting Refugees’ and Service Providers’ Mental Health from August 2017 until December 2017. This project aimed to provide migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers with psychological assessment, support, counseling, and informal education in order to improve their mental health and well-being. This support was realized through mental health assessment, occupational/psychoeducational/creative workshops and individual/group psychological counseling.

The project also provided professionals with continuous support and training in order to prevent burnout and secondary traumatization. Training with service providers were conducted with the aim to educate and sensitize them on psychological hardships among refugees including PTSD, anxiety and depression. Support groups were conducted to provide psychological support for the service providers, enhance their psychological well-being, and help them understand and strengthen their resilience and coping mechanisms.

This project was implemented in close coordination with the IRC and numerous organizations working directly with refugees in the field (e.g. RAS, NSHC, BCHR, Info Park, Atina, Ana i Vlade Divac Foundation, Sos Children Villages, Group 484 etc).

The project “Building together – Community Monitoring and Advocacy” is funded by The European Union and implemented by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Atina – Citizens’ Association for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and all Forms of Gender-based Violence, and Macedonian Lawyers Association. The project is aimed at improving migrants’ and refugees’ position in Serbia and Macedonia, particularly women and children. Under this project, PIN provides activities designed to facilitate integration process and to improve refugees’ position in the local community. Main activities include provision of psychoeducational and educational workshops focused on empowerment of young refugees and acquisition of new life skills, joint activities with local community in order to reduce fear and prejudices towards migrants and refugees as well as to provide the opportunity to build positive relationships between migrants and local community, and joint public events with migrants and local citizens aimed at raising awareness about the needs, rights and capacities of migrants and refugees in the local community.

Through a pilot project, funded by International Rescue Committee (IRC) from January until June 2018, teachers in primary schools that are hosting migrant and refugee children were trained in Healing Classrooms: Social-emotional learning (SEL) with the aim of enhancing safe and nurturing learning space where children affected by crisis and conflict can learn, grow and thrive.

The project aims at providing teachers with tools, techniques and continuous support that would help them create a positive classroom environment where children are safe and protected from violence, encourage them to cooperate with various systems of support and engage parents and other caregivers in order to ensure that the principles of Healing Classrooms are implemented in the school as well as outside of it.

Under the “Provision of Community Based Psychosocial Support to Refugees in Serbia” project funded by UNHCR, PIN in 2018, provides community-based psychological support to refugees and asylum seekers in Belgrade, Banja Koviljaca, and Bogovadja.

Project’s activities are predominately focused on empowering beneficiaries, improving their resilience, developing adaptive coping mechanisms and (re)establishing community networks that should serve as a protective factor and support system for its members. Activities include psychoeducational workshops and group psychological support focused on improving emotional and social well-being, various preventive (occupational and creative) and educational workshops orientated toward acquiring new skills and knowledge. In addition, PIN actively supports integration process by organizing Serbian language classes, facilitating integration and adaptation of refugee children to the school environment and organizes joint activities for refugees and the local population, with the aim of encouraging cultural exchange and promoting tolerance.

Furthermore, PIN, in order to ensure evidence-based practice, conducts research activities exploring refugees’ well-being, needs, adjustment and integration process as well as the support system in Serbia. Ultimately, PIN is actively involved in sensitization and raising awareness regarding refugees’ needs and gaps in the current support system and advocates for changes necessary for improving their psychosocial well-being.

In September 2018, PIN commenced implementation of the six-month project entitled Education towards interculturalism: the integration of refugees into the local community, funded by Open Society Foundation, Serbia. The project develops a program of intercultural education for refugee children, as well as children from the local communities engaged in elementary schools in Belgrade, with the aim of improving their intercultural competences, sensitivity, resilience and psychological well-being through extra-curricular workshops.

The main objective of the project is to provide support and to encourage the integration of children from different ethnic, religious, socioeconomic and cultural environments into local schools and communities, while encouraging their psychological well-being and improving the quality of life in the community.

The project activities will enhance the development and improvement of intercultural competencies; accepting the differences and promoting diversity; development and improvement of intercultural sensitivity and tolerance; adopting different life skills and empowering children; improvement of social and emotional well-being and resilience in children.

With the support of European Union to Republic of Serbia and World Health Organization, PIN has successfully conducted training program for more than 300 health professionals in the Republic of Serbia.  Training program was focused on provision of culturally sensitive care, stress management and prevention of burnout and secondary traumatization in health care providers.

Project was implemented from September 2018 to April 2019, at ten locations, including: Vranje, Bujanovac, Pirot, Kikinda, Sombor, Šid, Loznica, Sjenica, Tutin and Belgrade.

Project was implemented by UNDP, WHO, IOM and UNOPS, while training program has been developed and implemented by PIN and WHO, in collaboration with a team of experts from the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy and Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, as well as from the Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Serbia.

PIN, in collaboration with World Health Organization Office in Serbia and financial support from Open Society Foundation, is implementing a project aiming at improvement of mental health services for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Serbia, from September 2018 till October 2019. Throughout the project, “Introduction to Guidance on protection and improvement of mental health services to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Serbia” for providers of mental health services, Commissariat for refugees and migrations, providers of other types of services and interpreter/cultural mediators are organized in order to improve the protection system and coordination of relevant actors in the field, as well as to improve accessibility and quality of these services.  Moreover, supervision for mental health professionals are organized with the aim to build professional capacities and prevent burnout and secondary traumatization. This project supports establishment of a working group focused on mental health of refugees that would represent an advisory and coordination body for the provision of services in the area of mental health.

With the support of UNHCR Serbia in 2019. PIN is implementing the project aimed at providing community based psychological support, delivering activities that foster well-being of refugees and asylum seekers in Serbia, advocating for sensitive asylum system which will enhance refugee’s self-reliance and fulfillment of personal capacities, supported by reliable research data. The main activities on the project include culturally, age and gender sensitive individual and group psychological support; asylum procedure related psychological interventions; psychological assessment for the asylum procedure and other legal purposes; research activities oriented towards exploring refugees’ hardships, needs, potentials, coping strategies and factors that contribute to resilience, as well as on exploring challenges and barriers met during asylum procedure and integration process; supporting self-reliance of beneficiaries through provision of specialized trainings and identification of skills among members of refugee community, with the aim of providing beneficiaries with the opportunity to become peer counselors/ experts; facilitation of support groups for asylum seekers aiming to strengthen informal community support networks and existing community capacities.

With the support of the European Union Support to Migration Management in the Republic of Serbia, alongside with Oxfam Italia, PIN is implementing activities in the local communities of 9 cities: Sjenica, Tutin, Subotica, Sombor, Kikinda, Pirot, Vranje, Bosilegrad and Bujanovac in the time period of May to November 2019^th year.

The project aims to involve and connect refugees and migrants, currently living in Serbia, with local people through various actions in the local community, such as ecological, sporting, and educational activities. Project activities are carried out with scriptwriters of the popular web portal “Njuz.net” which, in addition to participating in sports and ecological activities with PIN, aids in producing a series of socially relevant public discussions on the topic of migrants in society in order to identify similarities and common goals that different cultures can share. During these public discussions, visitors have the opportunity to exchange their personal experiences and experiences from their community on the challenges that the refugee and migrant population encounter during their stay in Serbia.

With the support of UNFPA Serbia, in May 2019 we started the project “Enhancing well-being of refugee boys and empowering them through Boys on the Move workshop program“. The aim of this project is to support and strengthen the capacities of unaccompanied minors, refugee boys and young adults. The activities will be implemented through the Boys on the Move workshop program aimed at capacity building, sharing experiences and building a social network, prevention of risky behaviors, as well as providing key knowledge and skills that they will be able to apply now and in the future, in order to face everyday challenges they encounter. The implementation of the project activities is until September 2019.

In April 2019, PIN started with the implementation of the six month project “Getting Young Refugees Involved: Additional Education for Integration”, which is being implemented as part of the project “Improving the Social Protection of Migrants in a Vulnerable Position in Serbia”, implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) .

The aim of this project is to support young refugees and unaccompanied minors currently living in Serbia in developing key skills that can be of use to them in their personal, academic, and business life. Support is provided in an informal manner that includes additional education in the form of Serbian and English language classes, IT workshops, as well as psycho-educational and creative workshops. Project activities are carried out in Belgrade in the Centers for accommodation of foreign minors “Zmaj” and on Vodovodska Street, as well as in the premises of PIN. In addition to developing practical psychological skills and language and IT competencies, the project provides a safe space for creative expression and integration.

The project is implemented within the framework of the Migration Dialogue and with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

From April through the end of August 2019, with the support of LDS Charities Serbia, PIN implemented a project for young refugees and unaccompanied minors currently living in Serbia. Activities aim to provide vital psycho-educational resources not only for minors located in Belgrade, but also in remote camps in southwest Serbia. Psycho-educational support in the form of workshops is provided in the Centers for the accommodation of foreign minors, namely “Zmaj” and on Vodovodska Street, as well as in the asylum centers in Sjenica and Tutin. Activities focus on education and prevention of risky behaviors, strengthening capacities to deal with daily challenges in the adolescent period in the specificities of the refugee context, as well as increasing social support through the encouragement of cooperation and exchanges of experiences.

In April 2019, with the support of LDS Charities Serbia, PIN started a project aimed at empowering women and young girls from vulnerable groups called “Strong and Independent- Empowering Women through Creative Activities and Psychosocial Education“. Project activities include embroidery, art, and psycho-educational workshops, with emphasis on the development of business skills and knowledge. The goal of the project is to provide practical skills and knowledge through the development of creative skills and art, which will stimulate a sense of personal value and growth of self-confidence and which in the future could create an environment for economic empowerment and independence. The workshops should encourage young girls and women to value themselves, activate their leadership abilities, and learn how to realize their ideas. These activities provide the space for informal gatherings and socialization and the creation of new social networks of support, which is of particular importance since women and girls from vulnerable groups are often faced with a reduced number of social contacts and, therefore, available support systems.

With the support from Kahane Foundation, PIN will continue providing continuous culturally sensitive psychological support to the most vulnerable ones from refugee and migrant population throughout the year 2019 and 2020. The goals of this project are to enable refugees’ and migrants’ access to psychological support at all locations in Serbia, to facilitate development of resilience and adaptive coping mechanisms as well as to build capacities for integration and everyday functioning. Moreover, as a part of this project, PIN will be conducting research on the effects of psychological support in refugee context aiming to improve evidence-based practice.

With the support of European Commission Contracting Authority: Hedayah – International Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, PIN is implementing the project aimed at preventing radicalization leading to violent extremism. We strive to educate and empower youth through psychoeducational workshops in high schools in Belgrade, Sjenica and Novi Pazar. The main goals of the project are improving youth’s cognitive, social and emotional skills, strengthening their leadership skills, as well as their sense of belongingness to their communities through the organization of public events in their local communities. Young people will be encouraged to take more active role in their communities which will be achieved by providing them with relevant skills and competences in the area of social and emotional well-being, facilitating their social integration, building tolerance and creating an atmosphere of acceptance. The program will be implemented from August 2019 until July 2020.

PIN, in collaboration with World Health Organization Office in Serbia and with the financial support from Open Society Foundation, is implementing a project aiming at the improvement of mental health protection in Serbia as well as capacity building of service providers, institutions and organizations focused on mental health protection of refugees and migrants in Serbia, from October 2019 till August 2021. The project activities are focused on organizing regular and urgent meetings of the Working group on mental health protection of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Serbia, organizing training and supervision meetings with the national and international experts in the filed of mental health protection of refugees, establishing network of local and regional actors in the protection of mental health and raising awareness regarding the importance of prevention of mental health difficulties as well as available services in the community.

With the support of UNHCR Serbia in 2020 PIN is implementing the project aimed at providing community based psychological support, delivering activities that foster well-being of refugees and asylum seekers in Serbia, advocating for sensitive asylum system which will enhance refugee’s self-reliance and facilitate their integration into the local community, supported by reliable research data.

The main activities on the project include culturally, age and gender sensitive individual and group psychological support at locations where gaps in availability of psychological support services are identified; psychological assessment for the asylum procedure and other legal purposes; continuous psychological support to asylum seekers during different stages of the asylum procedure; facilitation of support groups for asylum seekers aiming to mobilize and strengthen informal community support networks and strengthen personal and community capacities; research activities oriented towards exploring refugees’ hardships, needs, potentials, resilience, coping strategies and factors that contribute to refugees’ mental health, well-being and successful integration.

From 15th September to 31st December, PIN in collaboration with UNFPA Serbia and the support of German Embassy in Belgrade provides psychosocial support focused on overcoming psychological difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The project includes delivering trainings to care providers working in institutions of social welfare (gerontology centers and centers for accommodating minors) with the goal of empowering and strengthening their psychological capacities. Themes of the trainings are preserving mental health during the pandemic, as well as providing psychological first aid to beneficiaries. The second part of the project includes providing free online psychological support to coronavirus patients, as well as their family members and friends, with the goal of providing timely support to people in crisis who are directly or indirectly affected by the pandemic.

During April 2020, PIN has successfully held a series of trainings for volunteers of Red Cross of Serbia with the goal of extending their knowledge about the basics of providing psychological first aid.

The trainings included a theoretical segment during which the participants were thoroughly acquainted to the principles of psychological first aid, as well as a segment provided for discussion in which the volunteers had the opportunity to share their experiences in working with beneficiaries and obtain answers to their questions from a psychologists with an extensive experience in the field.

The trainings were attended by 38 volunteers from 7 cities and municipalities: Savski venac, Pančevo, Lazarevac, Aleksinac, Kruševac, Mali Iđoš and Kula.

With the support of UNHCR Serbia, during 2021 PIN is implementing the project aimed at providing comprehensive mental health protection and psychosocial support services for refugees and asylum seekers in Serbia.

Project activities include various psychological interventions such as individual and group psychological support, psychosocial support, as well as multidisciplinary advocacy efforts. Furthermore, the project aims to advocate for an asylum system that is sensitive to mental health through provision of psychological assessments for the purpose of the asylum procedure and psychological preparation for its different stages.

With the support from Kahane Foundation, PIN continues to provide online psychological support and counselling to refugees and migrants in Serbia as well as to the local population affected by virus COVID-19. The goal of the project that is being implemented in 2021 is to ensure that support is accessible and available to the most vulnerable groups during the pandemic.

PIN is a partner of the organization Prostor on the project “Together towards community”, a part of the regional project “SOCIETIES”, funded by European Union and implemented by Caritas Serbia and Civic Initiatives.

The project is implemented from February 2021 to January 2022 with the aim to improve quality of life of users of psychiatric services through ensuring high quality and structured community psychosocial support program. Moreover, the project will be focused on defining and licencing of community mental health protection service in the system of social welfare protection as well as on ensuring evidence-based psychosocial support program.

PIN is a partner of the organization Prostor on the project “Supporting mental health”, funded by the Municipality of Zvezdara, the City of Belgrade.

The project is implemented from October 2021 to December 2021 with the aim to improve the mental health support of users of psychiatric services at the Creative Space for Mental Health through implementing admission and follow up procedures, connecting users at the Municipality of Zvezdra with available resources and advocating for the improvement of mental health in the community.

In August 2021 PIN started the project “One for Another: Supporting refugees’ integration and strengthening community networks“ with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the framework of the overall project EU IPA II project “Regional support to Protection Sensitive Migration Management in the Western Balkans and Turkey“.

The aim of the project is the formation and encouragement of peer-to-peer support networks in order to increase tolerance, intercultural sensitivity, social cohesion, and reduce xenophobia within community. The project activities include psycho-educational workshops on tolerance and intercultural sensitivity that are carried out in Centers for unaccompanied minors and schools in Belgrade and Loznica, the formation of peer-to-peer support groups, and joint activities with unaccompanied minors and local youths. The project is primarily aimed at youth as key promoters of social change, but also at the wider community.

The project implementation is until November 2021.

With the support from Kahane Foundation, in the period from June 2021 to May 2022, PIN is implementing a project that aims to provide equal access to mental health services for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants accommodated in asylum centers and reception centers in Serbia, as well as to enhance resilience and adaptive coping mechanisms in the most vulnerable individuals through the provision of continuous, culturally sensitive psychological support and counseling services.

PIN with the financial support from Open Society Foundation, is implementing a project aiming at the improvement of mental health protection in Serbia as well as capacity building of service providers, institutions and organizations focused on mental health protection of refugees and migrants in Serbia, from October 2021 till September 2022.

The project activities are focused on supporting the Ministry of Health in organizing regular and urgent meetings of the Working group on mental health protection of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Serbia, as well as in organizing regular meetings with psychologists working in the refugee context. Furthermore, the project is focused on establishing network of local and regional actors in the protection of mental health through coordinating the work of Consortium on refugees’ and migrants’ mental health aiming at the improvement of mental health protection standards of people on the move.

PIN is a part of an Erasmus+ international project along with 3 organizations working with refugees – Agora Aveiro from Portugal, Mentor Split from Croatia and Social Science Works from Germany. Main activities of the project are aimed at building more inclusive societies through capacity building, exchange of theoretical and practical knowledge, and raising awareness of local communities about the difficulties and challenges that individuals from the refugee and migrant population deal with on a daily basis. The project started in April 2021 and lasts until end of October 2022.

From December 2021, PIN is implementing a one-year project focused on the improvement of mental health and psychosocial support services for vulnerable groups. One segment of the project consists of creating guidelines and minimal standards for the provision of psychological support to human trafficking survivors, as well as creating a network of shelters for human trafficking survivors in the region with the goal of improving practices and exchanging experiences. The second part of the project is focused on supporting the development of the Consortium on Refugees’ and Migrants’ Mental Health (CoReMH) – an informal network of professionals dedicated to mental health protection of refugees in the transit context, as a platform for exchanging experiences and good practices. The third segment of the project is focused on strengthening capacities of service providers working with vulnerable groups with the aim of preventing burnout and secondary trauma.

This project is a part of the project “Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in the Western Balkans” (PaCT) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented in the region by the German Corporation for International Cooperation GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit).

From September 2021 PIN is implementing a one-year project that aims to contribute to the understanding of the mental health and psychosocial needs of the local population, especially in the context of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through strengthening existing resources and services, as well as adapting services to the needs of local communities, we strive to create a sustainable program of psychosocial support. The project is implemented in municipalities that receive support for the development and improvement of psychosocial services in order to increase their accessibility to vulnerable groups.

The project will be implemented with the support of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, through the project of German-Serbian development cooperation “Social protection services for vulnerable groups”, implemented by GIZ.

With the support from Kahane Foundation, PIN will continue providing continuous culturally sensitive psychological support to the most vulnerable ones from the refugee and migrant population throughout the year 2019 and 2020.

The project aims to ensure equal access and availability of mental health protection and psychosocial services to all refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the transit context and those accommodated in asylum/reception centers and shelters in Serbia. Furthermore, enhancing resilience and adaptive coping mechanisms in the most vulnerable individuals through the provision of continuous, culturally sensitive psychological support and counseling, and advocacy work.

With the support from Save the Children North West Balkans and Balkans Migration and Displacement Hub, in the period from April to October 2022, PIN implements the project Strengthening Mental Health Protection. The goal is to strengthen sustainable evidence-based mental health protection for refugee children and youth in Serbia, to advocate for the visibility of children and youth on the move, and to understand their challenges and needs.

This will be achieved with two focuses. First, an analysis of mental health and psychosocial support practices in Serbia, with a focus on existing policies, availability and accessibility of mental health services (MHPSS), and national and regional coordination mechanisms for the protection of refugee children and youth will be conducted to identify good practices and gaps in the provision of MHPSS to refugees and migrants in Serbia. The analysis will be based on desk research and inputs from the practitioners providing MHPSS to refugee and migrant children and youth.

Second, a qualitative study aiming to provide in-depth insight into refugees’ and migrants’ experiences and conceptualizations of what they perceive to be valuable resources of support, hope, and optimism will be conducted. The proposed study will contribute greatly to widening the knowledge about the strengths and resilience among refugee children and youth, thus promoting a comprehensive model of care focusing on both strengths and vulnerabilities. Study results will be a foundation for further development of evidence-based approaches to mental health interventions enhancing hope in refugees.

PIN is providing psychological and psychosocial support to refugees and asylum seekers from Ukraine.

The goals of the project are focused on mental health services, through the provision of direct and online psychological and psychosocial support to refugees and asylum seekers accommodated in asylum and reception centers in Serbia, as well as those accommodated at private addresses in Belgrade and other locations. Activities are aimed at strengthening resilience and adaptive coping mechanisms through the provision of continuous and culturally sensitive psychosocial support, psychological support and counseling services.

With the support of Amna, the activities within the project are carried out in the period from June to November 2022.

From September 2022, PIN started the implementation of a one-year project that will contribute to the improvement of mental health protection of citizens in Serbia, especially vulnerable groups, by ensuring the availability of free community services aimed at mental health and psychosocial support within the social protection system.

The goals of this project relate to strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations to provide counseling and therapy services in social protection, starting an initiative for the standardization of counseling and therapy services, as well as improving the knowledge and information of local and national actors about the importance of ensuring the availability of this type of services in order to improve mental health care.

This project is implemented within advocacy support Program “Pokret Polet”, funded by the European Union, and implemented by Trag Foundation in partnership with the Center for Social Policy and in cooperation with the Coalition for the Development of Solidarity Economy – KoRSE.

In October 2022, PIN started implementing a project that aims to create conditions for the introduction of sustainable free mental health and psychosocial support services in Užice, Prijepolje and Kosjerić.

The goals of the project are aimed at continuing the provision of psychosocial support services in communities through the implementation of Psychosocial Support Programs in these three local communities, strengthening their capacities for a more systematic approach to planning and implementing mental health and psychosocial support services, as well as defining proposals for improving the normative framework for providing counseling and therapy services.

The project is being implemented until the end of March 2023 within the support program “Dialogue of Change”, which is coordinated by the Belgrade Open School, and with the financial support of the European Union.

With the support of IOM, in the period from November 2022 to September 2023, PIN is implementing the project focused on the provision of comprehensive mental health support to refugee and local children and youth, including specialized psychological services, psychoeducational Program for children and youth, and peer-to-peer activities. Moreover, project activities include capacity building of service providers, with a focus on guardians, social workers, and educators, as well as research activities aimed at ensuring reliable data for the creation of evidence-based practice.

The goal of the project activities is to reduce psychological distress, rebuild coping mechanisms and resilience, and improve the well-being of refugee and local children and youth through a comprehensive mental health protection approach and enhancement of intercultural sensitivity.

From November 2022 to February 2023, PIN will implement a project whose goal is to improve the mental health and well-being of the elderly in the territory of the city of Sremska Mitrovica and to improve their social network in order to prevent loneliness and isolation, through the implementation of the Psychosocial Support Program for the elderly, which includes both group workshops and individual support for the elderly.

This project is implemented within the framework of the regional project “Strengthening the resilience of the elderly and people with disabilities during COVID-19 and future disasters”, financed by the European Union and the Austrian Development Agency, and coordinated by the Serbian Red Cross.

PIN- Psychosocial Innovation Network started the implementation of the project “Developing the resilience of young refugees through the provision of comprehensive mental health services”, with the support of UNICEF Serbia. The project will be implemented in the period from May 2023 to December 2023, in three cities of Serbia, Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Vranje.

The program is focused on providing comprehensive specialized services in the field of mental health to children and youth from Ukraine and to other children, youth and family members from the refugee population residing in Serbia. In addition to specialized mental health services, the Peer Support Program will be implemented, the main goal of which is the inclusion and encouragement of young people as agents of social changes, the creation of new support networks in society, highlighting the importance of mental health care, as well as building and improving the skills and knowledge of providing support to young people during crisis situations.

With the support of the Ministry of Health, in the period from August to October 2023, PIN implemented a project consisting of a series of activities aimed at improving the availability of preventive and mental health care services in primary health care. During the project, the needs of psychologists in primary health care will be mapped and training will be conducted to strengthen their professional capacities, in cooperation with the Society of Psychologists of Serbia and primary health care institutions, all with the aim of improving the response to citizens’ needs for mental health protection and prevention of mental health disorders.

With the support of UNFPA Serbia, in the period from September to December 2023 PIN implemented the project aimed at strengthening the program of psychosocial support for youth in Serbia through the development and piloting of the Toolkit on Mental Health, Social Wellbeing, and Healthy Habits of Youth intended for coordinators of Youth Offices and Youth Workers. The Toolkit consists of theoretical and practical parts covering the topics of mental health, well-being, and habits of youth, and was developed through a co-creation approach actively involving youth.

The main goal of the project is to improve the mental, social, and physical well-being of youth in Serbia through the creation of a sustainable educational tool (Toolkit) intended for local Youth Offices; improve the knowledge and skills of local Youth Offices staff; and effectiveness and broader applicability of the Toolkit addressing diverse needs of young people across various contexts.

With the support of the City Municipality of Stari Grad, from September to November 2023, PIN implements a project aimed to provide support to young people aged 13 to 24, through the implementation of the Psychosocial Support Program for Youth. The program includes a set of experiential workshops and individual consultations with a psychologist.

The global goal of this program is to reduce the stigma related to the topic of mental health, more precisely the challenges within mental health faced by young people at the local, to create a safe space for sharing personal experiences, as well as to strengthen the peer support network. Additionally, the goal of the program is to strengthen existing and acquire new skills important for maintaining mental health, with an emphasis on a better understanding of oneself and one’s peers.

With the support of the regional project SMART Balkans – Civil Society for a Shared Society in the Western Balkans, which is implemented by the Centre for Civil Society Promotion (CPCD), the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), and the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), and is financially supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom In Norway, in the period from September to November 2023, PIN implements a project aimed at providing psychological support to employees in educational institutions, through the implementation of the Support Program for persons in crisis. The support program for people in crisis includes psychoeducational sessions, support groups, and individual consultations with a psychologist.

The goal of the Support Program for people in crisis is to provide a safe space within which new knowledge in the field of mental health preservation is acquired. In addition, the project activities aim to strengthen existing and adopt new skills that would help in dealing with various consequences of exposure to stress and overcoming psychological crises.

With the support of UNICEF Innocenti Global Office of Research and Foresight, in the period from December 2023 to the end of November 2024, PIN implements the project Disrupting Harm in Serbia. Disrupting Harm is a research project aimed at understanding online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) in different countries. The project seeks to inform and encourage effective preventive measures to address this complex problem. The project is funded by the End Violence Fund (EVAC) and is implemented in partnership between UNICEF, ECPAT, and INTERPOL. The project is being implemented in 12 countries around the world, and PIN is the project partner in charge of implementing research in Serbia.

The research project implemented by PIN involves conducting a series of interviews with young people (16-24) who experienced online sexual abuse and exploitation as children; frontline workers who provide support to children and young people with OCSEA experience (e.g. social workers, psychologists), as well as justice professionals who are in charge of OCSEA cases (e.g. judges, prosecutors, lawyers).

Interviews with the victims themselves, as well as with important stakeholders within the OCSEA response system, will help us understand the nature and scope of OCSEA, as well as the capacities of the various systems in the country to prevent and respond to this type of abuse. We will seek to use this knowledge to inform and encourage preventive measures in the country.

Although the role of experts in civic issues is increasingly mentioned in the broader public discourse, and the necessity of involving professionals in legal, institutional, and broader systemic changes is emphasized, the ways in which this should be done remain unclear. Even less clear are the boundaries of such engagement. It was precisely as an attempt to initiate a discussion on the topic of civic engagement of mental health professionals in Serbia that the idea emerged to better understand this issue—initially through research aimed at identifying, as a first step, the degree of consensus on this topic among the professionals themselves, and ultimately through the further development of advocacy and educational initiatives.

In the period from April to July 2024 PIN will implement the project that falls under the wider project “Inclusion of Foreigners in WB –Access to Social and Economic Rights (FOSTER)”, implemented by the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and financially supported by the European Commission. The project aims to respond to current needs for mapping the basic needs and difficulties in the field of mental health of refugees and migrants in Serbia through the implementation of qualitative research. The collected data will be used as a tool for advocacy, improvement of relevant public policies, and improvement of support programs for refugees and migrants in Serbia. Additionally, through the provision of psychosocial support services, the project will respond to the psychosocial needs of the most vulnerable refugees and migrants in Serbia. Psychosocial support services include psychological interventions in crisis, individual and group psychological counseling, assistance in accessing psychiatric care, and psychoeducational workshops.

With the support of the Karl Kahane Foundation, PIN is implementing a project from June 2024 to May 2025 to ensure that refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants in Serbia have equal access to mental health and psychosocial support. The project provides continuous, culturally sensitive counseling to help individuals manage stress and trauma. By addressing gaps in mental health services, the project strengthens emotional well-being, builds resilience, and supports the development of adaptive coping strategies.

The project was implemented as part of a subgrant under the “Power of Activism” initiative, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and executed by the Trag Foundation along with partner organizations CRTA, the Youth Umbrella Organization of Serbia, BeFem, the Slavko Duruvija Foundation, and the Serbian Philanthropy Forum.

The main activities of the project include collaborative work with a group of psychology students from LIRA Lab in (1) writing psychoeducational articles and (2) publishing online content created by the students, (3) publishing the analysis “Mental Health of Youth in Serbia” based on research data conducted by the PIN organization in 2022, (4) organizing a public event, and (5) conducting a workshop for young people on social engagement in the field of mental health.

The overall goal of the project is to promote the long-term involvement of youth in the processes of improving the mental health system in Serbia, as well as to foster a societal dialogue on the mental health and well-being of young people.

As part of the project, the Instagram page @okrenipricu was created to document and publicly share the project activities.

With the support of Amna, in the period from July 2024 to April 2025, PIN is implementing the project aimed at enhancing the overall well-being of Ukrainian refugees in Serbia, building their resilience, and aiding their recovery, while fostering stronger community connections. Project activities include the provision of psychosocial support through the delivery of psychoeducational workshops and psychological counseling services to refugees from Ukraine, including children, youth, and adults. The workshops aim to create a supportive group environment where participants can learn from each other, gain knowledge,e and build skills for understanding and managing effects of stress and trauma. Psychological counseling services aim to provide a space for shared experiences, mutual support, and collective healing, fostering a sense of community and shared understanding.

The project was discontinued in January 2025 in accordance with Presidential Executive Order 14169, “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid.”

The project aims to bridge critical gaps in MHPSS protection for refugees currently residing in Serbia by providing timely, evidence-based support to those most in need. As part of the initiative, a Mental Health Kit will be developed, featuring a one-time, evidence-based mental health intervention for refugees in transit, along with a psychoeducational brochure. The intervention is designed to alleviate acute distress and enhance resilience among beneficiaries. The brochure will serve as a practical reference, reinforcing key strategies introduced during on-the-spot support sessions and equipping refugees with tools to apply the techniques in their everyday lives. The Mental Health Kit will be distributed to refugees in Serbia at locations identified based on the most pressing needs.

Mental Health Working Group within the May Platform

The goal of the working group is to understand the context in which the mass killings occurred in May 2023 in Serbia, from the perspective of mental health protection and care.

The aim is also to develop a collaborative approach and provide recommendations related to the necessary systemic improvements that would enable long-term prevention and adequate response to crisis situations the Serbian society may face in the future. Given that many circumstances surrounding the tragedies remain unknown or insufficiently transparent, and that the causes of such events are multiple and complex, the purpose of this report is not to offer answers about the events themselves or their direct causes.

Instead, this report seeks to analyze (1) the needs for mental health care, (2) the currently existing protection system, and (3) the response of the system and relevant institutions to the tragedies, in order to provide guidelines for how we can and must jointly build a society of solidarity and take better collective care of mental health.

The project is focused on providing comprehensive psychological and psychosocial support to refugee children, youth, and their family members in Serbia. This approach included support based on previous research findings on the needs of displaced populations, implementation of peer support programs, and assistance in developing educational skills, all aimed at ensuring holistic and systematic support. The goal was to contribute to the well-being and empowerment of beneficiaries across different aspects of life through a structured approach.

The project is nine months in duration, from mid-September 2024 to the end of May 2025, and implemented in Principovac, Belgrade, Vranje, and Bujanovac. A total of 355 individuals receive support, including 156 children.

With the support of the Karl Kahane Foundation, PIN is implementing a project from June 2025 to May 2026 to provide ongoing mental health and psychosocial support for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants in Serbia. The project ensures access to culturally sensitive mental health support, helping individuals build resilience and develop adaptive coping skills. Additionally, the project fosters regional advocacy and cooperation, expanding the impact of migration-related advocacy initiatives.