9 December 2024

Diversity Works completes facilitator training on Self-help Plus with UCPH

Denmark

The ADVANCE team at the University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with its partner organisation Diversity Works, successfully concluded an intensive four-day facilitator training during the first week of December 2024. This training focused on the World Health Organisation's (WHO) stress management intervention Self-help Plus (SH+) and represents a significant milestone in ADVANCE's efforts to support mental health among adults with migrant backgrounds.

Facilitators from Diversity Works and ADVANCE UCPH pose for a group photo following a productive training
Facilitators from Diversity Works and ADVANCE UCPH pose for a group photo following a productive training

This training is a key step in exploring how SH+ can be effectively integrated into social organisations like Diversity Works to empower migrants, particularly those in distress, to better manage mental health challenges.

“Many of [Diversity Works'] users are in difficult life situations with social challenges and a lot of stress that does not change from day to day or counselling to counselling. Being able to offer a self-help course that focuses on practicing tools to handle this stress is something we are very much looking forward to,” says Liselotte Vendelsøe, in-house nurse at Diversity Works.

SH+ is a WHO-developed program designed to alleviate mental stress by providing individuals with practical tools to navigate difficult life situations. The training followed months of adapting SH+ to the Danish context in collaboration with the WHO.

“All the facilitators' feedback will also help us to adapt the intervention further to ensure it meets the needs of their end-users,” explained Maria Castaner, research leader of the ADVANCE work package focused on migrants in Denmark.

Facilitators train on SH+

This collaboration is part of a broader initiative being carried out in parallel by the University of Copenhagen and the University of Verona. The work package addresses the mental health challenges faced by migrants, particularly forced migrants, who experience elevated levels of stress and mental health concerns due to cultural adaptation, social integration, and the difficulties inherent in migration. While many migrants seek mental health interventions, they often encounter barriers such as limited services tailored to their needs, language obstacles, legal status challenges, and stigma around seeking help.

The pilot testing of SH+ in Denmark is set to begin in April 2025. 

EU EmblemThe ADVANCE project has received funding from the EU Horizon Programme under Grant Agreement No. 101080323. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Contact

Joyce Anne Quinto
Project and Communications Manager
joyce.quinto@sund.ku.dk

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