On May until July 2023, the training sessions of social care professionals in the Municipality of Acharnes as part of the European program UpCare “Upskilling social care professionals in local authorities to prevent gender-based violence” were held with great success and participation at the Town Hall of the Municipality of Acharnes, mainly under the coordination of Ethos HUB. 

UpCare through a training program of 50 hours (10 trainings) gave the opportunity to health professionals of the Municipality of Acharnes to train and enhance their knowledge and skills, and especially those that will contribute to the empowerment and resilience in dealing with incidents of gender-based violence on a daily basis. Furthermore, it is an opportunity for personal development and training in legal and psychological issues related to gender-based violence. The same training sessions will be conducted in Spain in the region of Valencia.

The first training session, entitled “Introduction: What is UpCare. Basic elements of the Evaluative Model Health Promotion (administration of questionnaires).” was conducted by Sofia Drosou – Psychologist on May 12, under the coordination of Ethos HUB. Through the evaluation model, the obstacles that the individual faces are revealed as well as the effective strategies that they can employ to effectively deal with life’s difficulties, achieve their goals and improve their quality of life. The theoretical basis of the model was explained in detail as well as the way in which it is practically used in both professional and personal life as a means of mental empowerment. During the meeting, DPQ, Cope questionnaires as well as informal tools for detecting stereotypes were provided.

The second training session, entitled “Legal and ethical framework in incidents of gender-based violence.” was conducted by Sofia Christina Barakou – Chief Warden of the Acharnes Police Department and Michael Lolis – Police Lieutenant Officer on May 26, under the coordination of Ethos HUB. The purpose is to foster collaboration between the police and local agencies for the protection of victims of gender-based violence and vulnerable social groups such as LGBTQI, Roma, foreigners, minors, disabled. The concept of violence and gender-based violence was thoroughly examined. Special attention was given to the particularities of vulnerable groups, what makes them vulnerable and how they can be integrated with the rest of the population so as not to be marginalized. This particular meeting was an opportunity to train on legal matters of cooperation between services at local level for incidents involving gender-based and racist violence.

The third training session, entitled “Domestic violence of female gender. Introduction to concepts and approaches. Theoretical framework in the light of the Istanbul Convention.” was conducted by Georgia Aggelopoulou – Psychologist on June 2, under the coordination of Horizon: Center of Research, Technology & Innovation. Commencing with the key articles of the Istanbul Convention (2014), which Greece has also signed, the session delved into the definition of domestic violence, as well as the concepts of abuse and neglect of children, how to approach and provide support to child witnesses of such violence. Furthermore, participants engaged in dialogue, expressed disagreements, and pondered over a case study presented by Ms. Angelopoulou Georgia.

The fourth training session, entitled “The notion of diversity as a primary factor influencing the expressions of gender-based violence.” was conducted by Stamatis Paraskevas – Psychologist on June 9, under the coordination of Ethos HUB. The session focused on the theme of diversity in the context of gender-based violence, exploring it through the lenses of intersectionality, LGBTI+ perspectives, and mental and social resilience. The session involved extensive dialogue and reflection concerning the recognition of the expert’s authoritative role in relation to recipients of social services, as well as the psychologicalization of the social issue of violence.

The fifth training session, entitled “Consequences of gender-based violence – Trauma Management – Crisis Management Techniques.” was conducted by Sofia Drosou – Psychologist on June 16, under the coordination of Ethos HUB. During this session, the consequences of gender-based violence both physically and mentally on the individual were extensively discussed, as incidents of gender-based violence leave a traumatic mark on the individual. The trauma situations of the victims were analyzed thoroughly and training in trauma management was conducted focusing on the initial interactions between health professionals and victims. Post-traumatic growth is a journey of recovery and self-awareness. Subsequently, crisis management techniques based on the evaluation model were introduced. After the theoretical part of the training, an experiential exercise was carried out to consolidate the consequences of the trauma on the individual.

The sixth training session, entitled “Counseling Skills – Basic Principles of Children’s Drawing Analysis.” was conducted by Sofia Drosou – Psychologist on June 23, under the coordination of Ethos HUB. This training concerns the skills of the counseling process and the empowerment of health professionals. It focused on identifying and discussing the characteristics that will help the beneficiaries to practice counseling within ethical and moral boundaries in order to achieve optimal guidance outcomes. The core values and key aspects of the counseling process, grounded in the evaluation model, were thoroughly examined. Strategies were outlined to prevent health professionals from experiencing burnout due to assistance provision , as well as addressing feelings of frustration when therapeutic processes encounter challenges. This was followed by the analysis of children’s drawings as a means of revealing underlying phenomena such as stereotypes, role models, and domestic violence. Finally, the training was concluded with a hands-on application of the children’s drawings analysis, utilizing drawings donated to UpCare from a kindergarten in the Municipality of Acharnes.

The seventh training session, entitled “Removal as a Means of Managing Domestic Violence. Trauma and Management. Effective Removal Practices.” was conducted by Christina Pantelaki – Psychologist on June 30, under the coordination of Horizon: Center of Research, Technology & Innovation. During this session, the process of removing minors from families due to domestic violence was thoroughly discussed.  The secondary aspect centered around minors’ removal as a strategy for safeguarding their well-being and shielding them from stigma, from the wider social environment (school, neighborhood) and the psycho-emotional consequences of this. The training was heavily based on interactive discussion between speakers and beneficiaries. This approach facilitated the integration of practical insights with theoretical and research data from the Greek organization “The Smile of the Child”.

The eighth training session, entitled “Evaluation of ”Self-Concept”.” was conducted by Sofia Drosou – Psychologist and Irini Melissinou – Drama therapist on July 7, under the coordination of Ethos HUB. Realistically recognizing our personal identity and individual attributes is a fundamental skill within the health profession and beyond. Health professionals, in order to be able to delimit both others and themselves need to recognize and foster positive traits such as composure, determination, resilience and more. The primary objective of health professionals is to promote these positive characteristics with the aim of personal development and enhancing their quality of life. An experiential approach and development of the positive self concept followed with Ms. Melissinou. We tend to talk to ourselves about our negatives and not the positives. We discovered ways to get closer to our authentic selves.

The ninth training session, entitled “Evaluation of the concept ”World”.” was conducted by Sofia Drosou – Psychologist and Irini Melissinou – Drama therapist on July 14, under the coordination of Ethos HUB. The initial part of this session focused on the concept “world” as a component of personal development, emphasizing the adaptability of individuals and the communication skills essential for mental health professionals. The skills of developing mental “immunity” as part of the process of biopsychosocial adjustment were analyzed. Subsequently, strategies for creatively managing grief, loss and feelings of worthlessness were explored. The latter part of the session involved group dramatization of communication strategies where many communication barriers were experientially encountered and creatively exploited.

The tenth training session, entitled “Evaluation of the concept ”Future”.” was conducted by Sofia Drosou – Psychologist and Irini Melissinou – Drama therapist on July 21, under the coordination of Ethos HUB. This session was dedicated to the exploration of the concept “future”, focusing on the creative utilization of skills. A thorough discussion focusing on the realistic assessment of one’s abilities, recognized as a pivotal avenue for self-development, followed. By overcoming difficulties in both professional and personal spheres, individuals cultivate healthy mechanisms of maturation and construct their own sense of happiness. This process contributes to the formulation of an optimistic outlook for the future. The training employed an experiential approach, aiming to foster autonomy within groups using the soar strategy model. Ultimately, the training concluded with a reflective and evaluative process of the training experience.